Blood, Sweat, and Tears
by ObsessiveCompulsiveValkyrie
Summary: Demons and gods have never gotten along... However, after nearly two centuries of peace, the gods beg for blood. The young vampire, Cloud, must rise up against all odds and fight against the heavens and his own laws to get what he wants. Rated M!
1. Prologue 1: The Hiding Amaranth

Alright, here we go! The six prologues are the two oneshots split into easier reading and with a few minor changes here and there. Mostly grammar that I fixed up, but I thought I'd mention it. Oh, and the scene at the end of prologue six, which was originally in Tifa's oneshot as a third-person, is now rewritten in Cloud's first-person. It has a few more tidbits of information, so I'd recommend reading it.

And if you haven't read the oneshots in 'Words Aren't the Only Way,' then let me give you fair warning. This story is rated 'M' for language, sex, eventual blood and (possibly) gore, and Cloud's nasty thoughts. Hey, it's an AU, right?

Also, all chapter titles are lyrics of Nightwish or Within Temptation songs. I am addicted. Really, I am. If another song gets in there, I'll give fair notice and an explanation why.

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Prologue 1  
**_**The Hiding Amaranth**_

Flame. Nothing but those frickin' flames. Day… Night… It makes no difference to me. It doesn't make a difference to anyone in Orcus. This hell is exactly that. Those mortals have no idea what they're missing… At least they're smart enough to complain about their realm day in and day out.

"Iurgium!"

Hm? What's this? Aerith is never this excitable… My gaze raises and spies the sight of her brown hair approaching. I reply, "Yes?" Hn. My blond hair shifts back forth as I give my head a shake. Mental note: talk more often. Maybe my voice wouldn't sound so hoarse then.

She laughed. "Iurgium, we have new orders."

"Oh?"

"Mm-hm… We're going to… the mortal realm!"

My eyes roll automatically. "Yippee. I'm so happy."

"Oh…" She held a small box out for me to take. "You'll need this."

Hm? What could this be? I open the case and lift the object within. A new rosario? Why now? A raised eyebrow sends my curiosities to the girl across from me.

She smiled. "This one has a stronger spell. It'll keep your already frayed powers in check while we're topside."

"Did you make it?"

"Naturally. Well, the charm was made by an artisan, but I made the spell."

"Mm." Great. Not a new one. It took me long enough to get accustomed to the one I have now. Now it won't just be the hunger under control. This one will probably block my flare powers, too.

She turns to leave and calls over her shoulder, "Alright, Iurgium. We'll leave next week. And remember when packing, Gaia is much, much colder than Orcus!"

Another thing to love about the flames of hell. Wonderful. Now, the only thing that could possibly make this worse would be if-

"Cloud!"

-she showed up. Dammit, she's more of a devil than the Dominus himself. I give a sigh, "What the fuck do you want?"

The dark-haired girl grinned widely, floating a good two feet off the ground. "Hiya, Cloud! Is Aerith chewing you out because you failed again?"

My middle finger rose slowly. "Screw you, Yuffie. Damn succubuses are a disgrace to all real demons."

"Oh!" She fell back dramatically, still hanging in the air. "You hurt me so, Cloud Strife! Master of all failures!"

"You repulsive things use seduction and sex to your advantage. It's disgusting."

"Oh, and lusting after the blood of mortals isn't?"

"At least we have rules to follow… There's a small selection of mortals we're allowed to feed off of. We can't just go off and do what we want to who we want."

"Hm. And what about your other sides?"

My eyes narrow to a dark degree. "I am a _vampire!_ Nothing more, nothing less!"

She nodded wisely. "Uh-huh. We all know you screwed up. Don't deny it, Blood-Sucker!"

Walk away. Just walk away. That's all you can do when she gets like this. I turn sharply and march through the heated caverns in the direction of the vampire district to get some sleep.

……

One week later, I waited by the Magnus Aditus with my gear packed, rosario equipped, and Aerith and her werewolf companion standing nearby. I watched as the three Aditus masters opened the portal to the human realm with the powers unique to an artisan.

The passage opened in a series of three ripples echoing across the glass surface. I felt a prod in my shoulder and knew it was Aerith without even needing to look. I pull myself to my feet and pull my travel sack over my shoulder.

Aerith waved a hand and shouted, "_Pendēre!_" At the sound of her voice, the heavy trunks packed with our belongings slowly rose from the cavern floor and floated along behind her as she made for the gigantic mirror. Her raven-haired companion, Zack, followed behind her with a grin and a thumbs-up for his werewolf friends on the side.

I give a sigh and follow them to the realm of eternal torment. At least to a vampire. Snacks all around, but no excuse to sate my hunger. Another sigh and I pass through the gate.

My vision blurs slightly at the foreign feeling. It's… strange. It feels as though I'm being thrust through water without a surface. All I can see is blue, the ripples of the dimensional rift shifting over my sight in an unsettling way. Light filters past and reflects off the wrinkles in time, making it difficult to keep my eyes open. The moisture of the strip between realms is actually pretty gross. My face forms an unintentional grimace as the fluid soaks through my clothes and presses them to my body.

A grunt escapes my lips as a force throws me out of the passage and I land on my hands and knees on a soft floor. It feels strangely familiar and while I'm trying to figure it out, Aerith's giggles enter my ears. I scowl and stand, glaring at her.

She raises a hand to try to muffle her laughter. "Iurgium… This is your first time through the passage, right? Well, since then, anyway…"

I reach up, twisting my spiky hair free of liquid and toss the limp lock out of the way. "Yeah."

"Well, then, since you're not used to it, you can have the shower first."

I finally take the chance to observe my surroundings and blink at the quaint design of the mortal room. What the heck are these things? So many unusual objects. Aerith scuttles around the small living quarters, taking things from the trunks and setting them around on the counters and other furnishings. She pauses and turns to face me, "Oh, Iurgium?"

I hate the tone in her voice. I reply warily, "…What?"

She smiles widely, "I've enrolled all of us in the local school. Nundinae and I, while we're old enough to remember the last war, we still look young enough to be in a school, so we'll all go together."

I swear my pale skin fades a shade lighter and I manage to mumble, "Human school…? Are you serious?"

"Quite. You need to learn how to cooperate with mortals. It's a part of your training."

Oh, fuck. I had no idea she'd shove this sort of crap on me. I guess I don't really have a choice. I sigh again. "Fine. So what do I have to do?"

"Well, basically, you just have to attend the classes and take their exams. Your grades in this school will be considered when I give your final grade on this expedition."

"…You mean, on top trying to keep my fangs out of all these creatures, I'm going to have learn all the crap they do?"

She waved a hand dismissively. "You won't have any trouble. As a vampire, all your reflexes are high beyond that of a human. Your learning processes are much more attuned, as well. There are a stack of textbooks on the desk of your room to get you caught up to the grade you'll be attending."

She continues at my confused expression, "The human schools are divided up by twelve grades. They start attending school at the age of six and start the first grade then. They increase one grade per year, so, since you're seventeen, you'll be going into eleventh grade. Zack and I will accompany you to that grade so we can help you get used to it. A large portion of your training is how well you can interact with mortals."

Wonderful. Just wonderful. Not only am I going to be surrounded by snacks, but I have to interact with them, too? Without eating? I don't even interact with demons unless I have to. This is going to be one hell of a lesson.

"Oh, and, Iurgium? Your first day of school is next Monday."

……

I tug at the damn piece of fabric threatening to cut my airwaves off and finally give up, biting the thing and tearing it apart with my fangs. Aerith walked past the doorway to see me picking pieces of black cloth out of my teeth and laughs. She shakes her head good-naturedly and teases, "You know, Iurgium, ties aren't mandatory."

I spit a wad of material onto the floor and raise my eyes to hers. "Now you tell me."

She laughs again. "Buttoning your shirt and jacket are, though."

I glance down at my open shirt. "But I never wear shirts."

"The point of being in the mortal realm is to learn how to fit in."

I sigh. "No exceptions?"

"At least wear an undershirt until you get used to it. But you do need to try to blend."

"Yeah, whatever." I shrug my open shirt and jacket off and grab a black undershirt from my dresser. As I pull it over my head, I glare at Aerith as she holds a stack of books and a bag common to mortals—a backpack?—towards me.

She grins. "Have fun on your first day of school!" She turns and shouts to the rest of the apartment, "Nundinae! Hurry up! We have about two minutes to transfer!"

Zack's voice calls back, "Alright, alright! I'm almost ready!"

Aerith turns back to me before she leaves completely. "Oh, do you have your new rosario equipped?"

I nod sharply, "Yeah." Damn thing stings like hell, too. I always hate getting new ones. They take forever to get accustomed to. I sigh once more for good measure and pick up the bag Aerith gave me. After a minute of tying, it finally occurs to me to actually put it on my back. Who knew? Mortals can make sense. I mean, duh! Where else would you wear a backpack but on your back? I'm about to slap my forehead from my own idiocy when Aerith's head pokes back into the doorway.

She cocks her head at the sight of me but chooses not to comment. Smart woman. Instead, she says, "Iurgium? We need to transfer now if we're going to be on time."

I can't wait. Really, I can't. Aerith walks into my room and grabs hold of my wrist, dragging me back out to the all-purpose room. What was it Aerith had called it? The living room? I think so. Sounds close enough, anyway.

"Iurgium? Over here."

I sigh and walk over to where Aerith and Zack wait. A foreign call from Aerith has us fading away into nothingness as her teleportation spell takes effect. New surroundings fill my vision as we start to appear in a small valley between two mortal buildings.

By the forgotten curse of artisans! Why in the hell do mortals like the smell of metal so much? It's disgusting! I can't even- Yegh!

Something cool touches my arm, sending me through the roof, and I turn to see Aerith standing there with concern written on her features. A wrinkle forms in her brow as she asks, "Iurgium? Do you sense something?"

There she goes again. Flipping out just because my frickin' vampire senses are actually picking up what they're supposed to. She knows as well as the next demon that vampires have naturally sharper senses. I feel a prod in my side, bringing me back to the present. I answer her question, "Just the god-forsaken smell of metal…"

She nods understandingly and turns to leave the alley, a pink backpack strapped over her shoulders. I roll my eyes and shiver. Damn it. Aerith was right when she said Gaia was colder than Orcus. And this is comin' from a guy who has a higher natural body temperature. Aerith told me once that average body heat for humans was about ninety-seven-point-something degrees Fahrenheit and a hundred-four was a dangerous number. A vampire's average runs roughly between one-thirty and one-forty. So, really, I shouldn't be cold at all.

Giving my eyes a roll for effect, I follow Zack and Aerith out of the foul-smelling gorge.

……

Aerith leads me through the halls, staring at everything the way a necromancer inspects fresh corpses. I, on the other hand, find myself sniffing every mortal to see how tasty they might be. Dunno if it's unfortunate or not, but my new rosario cloud's—funny, really—my judgment, making it impossible to tell if they would taste any good.

A giggle escapes Aerith's lips, snapping my attention back to her. She smiles and voices her thoughts, "They've changed this place since the last time I was here. For instance," she points at the tile under our feet, "that used to be a drab white. The red and black patterns are a nice update. And the walls were white, too. They've really spruced the place up."

I blink. "Uh-huh…"

She pauses. "Oh, this is your stop!" She shoves on my shoulder, throwing me towards the small room. I grunt out of distaste, collecting myself and putting my normal scowl in place before turning the knob.

I walk in and glare at the various students already gathered. The old mortal at the front of the room looks up and speaks, "Oh, you must be the new students. Care to introduce yourselves?"

I stand still, saying nothing, before turning and walking back to the third of five rows and stop at the third seat. Aerith's voice sounds behind me, "I'm sorry, sir. He's just shy. I'm Aerith, and he's Cloud."

Completely ignoring the conversation behind me, I glare down at the mortal boy in my seat. He looks up at me. "What the heck do you want, Goth-boy?"

My eyes narrow. "My seat."

"Look, dude, this is my seat. Go find your own."

This guy is really starting to piss me off. Can't he just do as he's told? I know Aerith is watching to see if I'll 'fit in' and I don't doubt that she used her magic to get us in every class together, but I can't resist. This guy is ticking me off. I won't bite… this time.

"Come on, get out of here, you freak!"

Okay. That does it. Did it ever occur to you that mortals might be the freaks and demons are just stuck protecting your sorry asses? Even with my powers bound by my rosario, my hand flies forward with inhuman speed and grips him by his collar. I lift him to the side and drop him on the floor without taking my eyes off the sudden fear embedded on his face.

I drop down into my seat and pick his books up, letting those drop to the floor beside him with a thud. The kid looks up at me and gathers his books in a hurry before grabbing a seat on the opposite side of the room.

Aerith walks over and sits down in the seat behind me. She leans forward to whisper in my ear, "You know we'll be talking about this later."

I shrug a response as the old mortal adjusts the metal and glass objects on his nose before speaking.

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Please review!

-Valk


	2. Prologue 2: A Rose by Any Other Name

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Prologue 2  
**_**A Rose by Any Other Name**_

"Okay. Talk to you later! Glad to help!" Tifa snapped her cell phone shut after giving a classmate help with his homework and skipped down the stairs of her family's handsome two-story home in Nibelheim. She walked into the dining room and took her place at the table beside her mother. Her older brother sat across the table from her, helping himself to some mashed potatoes. Tifa waited patiently for him to finish and accepted the bowl from him when he was done. After scooping some potatoes onto her own plate, she covered them with the beef and gravy.

She folded her hands as her father began to say grace, "O Goddess, bless this food which we are about to receive in thy holy name. Amen."

She lifted her fork and began to eat her dinner happily. Her mother cleared her throat slightly. "So… Spring break starts tomorrow, doesn't it, Tifa?"

Tifa nodded and swallowed her food before speaking, "Uh-huh. Midterms are finally over."

Her brother smiled smugly. "I didn't have Friday classes this semester, so my break started today."

"Yeah, well, not all of us are lucky enough to be in college and living in the dorms, Genesis."

Their father cleared his throat. "Speaking of which…" Tifa's and Genesis's eyes turned to their father. "My company offered me a promotion."

Tifa smiled openly. "That's great news, Dad!"

"Except. There's a small catch."

"What's that?"

"We have to move to Midgar."

Her mouth fell open. "But…! But…! What about…! I'm just about ready to graduate! Can't we stay here until then?"

"Tifa… You're still a junior… You still have another year until you graduate. If you were a senior, I might be able to convince the company to let us stay, but I can't. Not for a year."

"But all my friends are here!"

"You'll make new friends. And with technology these days you can keep in touch easily."

"But what about Genesis? He still has half a semester to finish!"

Genesis crossed his arms. "I'm living in the dorms… I can stay here easily enough and come see you guys in Midgar over the summer."

"This… this isn't fair!" She threw her fork on the table and ran up the stairs to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

……

The following Tuesday, her belongings all packed away and her farewells said, Tifa climbed into the family car for the three-day trip. The school in Midgar that her parents had transferred her to had spring break the same week, so she had three days to get accustomed to life in the big city before school started up again. She glanced over her shoulder from her spot in the backseat and waved to Genesis, who walked over and knocked on her window. She opened it and he grinned. "You know you'll have fun in the city. It'll be an adventure you won't soon forget, anyway."

……

Monday morning, she looked in her bedroom mirror, smoothing the pleated skirt of her uniform. She fixed her blazer and sighed before shouldering her messenger bag with 'Angel' printed on the side in curlicue lettering. She trudged down the hall of her new home, a three-bedroom apartment, and walked through the kitchen on her way to the door. Her father had already left for work, so it was just her and her mother. She scooped her lunch money off the counter and slid it into her bag before turning to face her mother. The older woman smiled. "Have fun, sweetheart. Are you sure you know the way?"

"Yes, Mom. I'll be fine. 'Bye." She walked out the door, locking it behind her, and rode the elevator down to the main floor. She walked outside and crossed the street before heading down the stairs leading to the subway. She climbed on the train, riding it the five minutes to her stop and stepped off.

She continued to her school and stopped at the office to fill out the final paperwork before heading to first period. She knocked on the door and walked in, stopping at the front when the teacher told her to. The older man nodded to the rest of his class. "This is our new student… a fresh transfer from Nibelheim." He turned to her. "Care to introduce yourself?"

_Not really…_ She put on a fake smile and spoke with her thick country accent, "I'm Tifa Lockhart."

The teacher waved his hands towards two empty adjacent seats. She walked over and moved to sit in one, but stopped when the girl behind her stuck her hand in the way. "That seat's taken… Its inhabitant isn't here yet."

"Okay…" Tifa slid into the other empty seat and set her bag at her feet. She sat through her teacher's boring lecture before packing up to head to second period.

The girl who had stopped her from sitting in the other seat paused next to her. "What room is your next class in?"

"Um…" Tifa glanced at her schedule. "Algebra, room 231."

"I'm headed in that direction. I can take you there if you want."

"Thanks. I'd… really appreciate that."

"No problem! Follow me!"

She walked out to the hall and waited for Tifa to catch up before leading her through the crowd. She led her up a flight of stairs and stopped in front of a door clearly labeled '231' before ushering her inside. "Talk to you later, Seracor!" She smiled and walked off.

Tifa shook her head before walking into the class and sitting down in a random chair near the back. The rest of the class filtered in just as the bell rang. The teacher started her lecture and Tifa watched as she went over equations she'd already learned at her old school.

Halfway through the class, the door clicked open and a boy walked in, blue eyes scanning the room before stopping on her. He wore the school uniform well out of conduct, jacket open, white dress shirt unbuttoned, and black undershirt showing. The most peculiar feature was the thin leather band, about a half-inch think, circling his throat. Hanging off of it was a broad cross about five inches tall made of shades of gold and silver with black beads falling in two loops from the top of the cross to the sides of the band. Without showing so much as a hint of a smile, he walked to the back of the room and dropped into the seat next to her.

She tried to follow the teacher's lesson, but was constantly distracted by his eyes constantly burning holes into her. She glanced over at him once and immediately his eyes moved elsewhere. As soon as she turned away, she felt his gaze on her again. She shook her head and forced herself to ignore him. Finally, the bell signaling the end of class rang and she grabbed her stuff and ran out of class as quickly as she could.

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Please review!

-Valk


	3. Prologue 3: I Wish I Had an Angel

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Prologue 3  
**_**I Wish I Had an Angel**_

_**Cloud**_

Ten weeks. That's how long I've been in this alternate hell. I thought the mortal realm was supposed to be some sort of paradise? Whoever made that up deserves death in the most painful process imaginable. On the plus side, I've managed to keep my fangs out of every unsuspecting mortal around me. I glance down at the god-forsaken textbook in front of me and flip it closed. Bracing my hands against the desk, I shove back and stand. I switch my uniform for a pair of sweat pants and fall into bed, the hushed whispers of Aerith's and Zack's conversation slipping into my ears.

……

A groan escapes my lips as I push myself out of bed. A glance at my clock has me out of bed and racing for the bathroom, wondering if Aerith had attempted an electrical spell and short-circuited the power. A quick search of the apartment yields the absence of both the witch and her companion. What the hell? Did they abandon me here? In this mortal hell?

I turn, about ready to throw myself against the wall, when a flash of brown catches my eye. I walk over to the kitchen counter, where Aerith burned a message onto the surface. It read, _'Iurgium, I hope you see this before you trash the apartment, but I shut off your alarm. Yesterday morning was a mortal ritual called 'Daylight Savings Time.' It alters the time by one hour and I know you need all the sleep you can get as a starved vampire. Just come to school as soon as you wake up. See you there -Aerith.'_

I roll my eyes. Geez. Damn mortals and all their stupid-ass 'rituals.' Ah, well. Just because last week was 'spring break' doesn't mean I can't have a bit more free time from that prison. I get myself a glass of cranberry juice from the refrigerator and sip it slowly. It might not be the consistency of blood, but it is the right color. It helps my hunger, if only a little.

I finish getting ready for school and grab the teleportation charm my teacher left for me. My eyes close as I focus on the scrap of paper and the world fades around me.

I push the door to the bathroom stall open and walk out to the school's halls. Taking a moment to get my bearings, I head down the hall for my second period, algebra. God, if mortals didn't spend so much time thinking up such useless things, I bet they might actually have a stable form of government.

I walk up to my classroom and pause. Something doesn't feel right. I sense… something new. It's not unpleasant, but it's not friendly, either. Whatever it is, I don't doubt I could take it. I take the knob and turn it before taking a few steps inside. I pause by the instructor's desk and quickly skim the room for the disturbance.

There. My eyes fall on a girl, no older than anyone else in this hellhole, with long, dark hair and a sorrowful frown. She's sitting in the desk next to mine, so I make my way over and sit down. I didn't have time to stop by my locker, so I didn't have any of my books for this class. Wouldn't have mattered if I did, anyway.

There was something about that girl. I don't know what, either. She's definitely not a demon, I know that much. But there was something else… I can't place it. Her physical features are just plain hot. Silken hair, woe-laden ruby eyes, a petite frame, long, slender legs, a short skirt… What man in his right mind--demon or no--wouldn't stare? She's almost the embodiment of all things Orcus isn't. Aether.

Her head starts to turn towards me and I snap my attention to the teacher. The gaze of those beautiful eyes leaves me and I turn back to her, just realizing what it is about her.

She smells _so_ good. I can only imagine how she must taste.

……

I throw my books from forth period into my locker and grab my mortal currency for lunch. What can I say? It's routine by now. I slam my locker shut and sigh at the sight of the uniformed brunette waiting behind the door. She smiles openly and shouts over the noise of passing students, "Hey, Iurgium! What time did you come in for?"

"Halfway through second period."

"Oh, really? I guess that's not too late. How'd you sleep?"

"A lot worse than if you'd let me sleep during the day."

"You know how the darkness feeds your hunger. It would just be stupid of me to let you wander during those hours."

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Anyway, lunch! I wonder what's on the menu today?"

"Who cares?"

She laughed, apparently thinking I was joking, and followed the flow of students to the cafeteria. I trail along after them simply because any sustenance was better than none. Aerith stopped by the double doors and smiled, addressing me with a shout, "Iurgium! I'm going to wait for Nundinae. Go on ahead!"

I nod once and get in line for my food. If you could even call this shit food, but who am I to judge what mortals eat? After going through the motions, I get my meal and look for an empty table.

That's when I smell it. That's when I smell _her._ What the hell is it about that girl? I follow my nose towards the table in very corner of the large room and pull out a seat without an invitation. I sit down and let my eyes roam over her features, memorizing every detail.

She watches me with a hard expression and asks, "Am I that interesting?"

_**Tifa**_

She made it through the rest of the morning without ever seeing the creepy guy from algebra again. Walking through the cafeteria with her tray in hand, she found an empty table on in the corner, where she sat down and started sifting through the mush on her plate. She stared at her tray, vaguely wondering if the girl from this morning was in this lunch period.

The scuff of a chair on the tile floor warranted her to look up to find the guy from algebra sitting down across from her, tray in hand. She raised an eyebrow. "Am I that interesting?" He remained silent as he slowly picked through his food. She decided that, if he wasn't going to speak, at least he could serve as a guinea pig and see if the food was safe to eat.

"Oh, we have a new seat? Iurgium, you need to stop jumping all over the place." The girl from first period sat down, and, just noticing Tifa, said, "Oh… I guess you met Seracor, huh?"

Tifa looked at her, puzzled, and asked, "What does… Seracor mean?"

"Lockheart."

The two girls looked over as the silent, cross-wearing guy uttered Tifa's last name. The other girl smiled. "Hey! He does speak!"

Tifa turned to look at her. "You mean he's never spoken before?"

The girl laughed. "No, silly! He talks, just not very often. Right, Iurgium?" She stuck a hand into his golden hair and shifted it back and forth in something of a noogie.

"Iur…gium…?"

"His name."

"Ooh! Is it Give Noogie to Cloud Day?" A tall guy with black hair slipping down his neck dropped into the seat between Tifa and the other girl.

She smiled. "I guess introductions are in order." She gestured to Tifa. "This is Seracor. Seracor, this is Iurgium-" she pointed to the blond "-and Nundinae." The dark-haired guy.

"Translation," the new guy grinned, "That's Cloud, Miss Nonsense over here is Aerith, and I," he struck a pose, "am Zack."

She smiled, glad to have uncomplicated names for them. "And I'm Tifa. Tifa Lockhart."

_**Cloud**_

I clean out my locker of all the crap I'll need for tonight's homework at the day's end when Aerith stops beside me. A familiar scent lingers around her, permeating my senses with the lust for human blood. God, that girl, Tifa, she… Damn the Dominus! Why the fuck is she in my head like this!? I've _never_ had a lust like this before. Tifa with her perfect eyes and her perfect scent and her perfect curves… She's so damn adorable! I sound like fucking idiot saying that, but I can't help it! That's what she is!

"-cor home, okay?"

I turn to Aerith, just realizing she was talking. "What were you saying?"

She rolls her eyes. "Did you hear a thing I just said?"

"Not… really…"

"Basically, I'm going to walk Seracor home and then meet up with you and Nundinae so we can do some grocery shopping. Maybe we can actually eat some decent food for lunch. Do you need anything before I go?"

I shake my head and watch her bounce down the hallway before releasing a sigh. Great. Not only am I stuck with Zack, but I'm stuck with him in public.

A loud shout echoes behind me, "Cloud! Ready to go?"

I roll my eyes and turn to face Zack. "Yeah, let's get this over with."

An insulted expression crosses his face. "'Get this over with'? What are you talking about? Surely my company is better than stiff ol' Aerith's!"

I keep my stare level and stay silent for a moment before allowing my grin show. "You are in so much trouble if I tell her you said that."

He waves a hand nonchalantly. "Eh, whatever. Wouldn't be the first time she punished me."

"How can you stand it? Being looked down on by your own companion?"

He shrugs as we head outside. "That's just the way it is. A word of advice: Don't fall for a council member."

"How come?"

"Makes life a helluva lot easier if you don't have to keep followin' her topside. And take care of her students, and do as she says, and- Oh, well, you're different from the rest. I mean, the whole almost-son thing and all."

Wonderful. Another reminder that I was raised by his companion. Don't get me wrong, Aerith was -and is- a great parental figure to me. Zack… Not so much. He's more like the older-younger brother I never had or wanted.

We continue our walk towards downtown and ten minutes later the pizza shop we all have come to love enters our sight. They serve a special called 'Vampire's Delight,' but they lie. There's not a drop of blood or flesh… It's just some processed meats and some sauce that looks a little more like blood than the usual.

_**Tifa**_

Tifa walked out of the building after her first day of school in Midgar, Aerith walking beside her, and bit her lip, wondering if she should ask. Finally, she gave up and blurted, "Aerith? Why does Cloud wear that cross on his neck?"

Aerith stopped in her tracks, a finger on her chin, contemplating how to answer. She sighed. "Let's just say it's for religious reasons and leave it at that."

"Huh?"

"Well… If he wants you to know, he can tell you."

"Okay… I guess it's a touchy subject, huh?"

"Yeah." She flashed a bright smile. "I'm glad you understand!"

"I don't really, but whatever."

She smiled again. "Like I said, if he wants you to know, he'll tell you himself." She stopped. "This is where I turn. See you tomorrow, Seracor!"

"Yeah… Tomorrow."

Tifa made her way over to the train station, then thought better of it and decided to walk. She quickly found herself lost among the tall, identical buildings. Everything looked so familiar, yet she had no idea if she was going circles or not. Finally, remembering her mother at home, she pulled out her cell phone and was about to call her when she realized she didn't know her new number yet. Mentally scolding herself, she turned randomly and found herself in a dead end.

She sighed and turned, freezing when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned slowly to find a greasy-looking man with a crooked smile. Taking that as a bad thing, she inhaled and screamed as loudly as she could before feeling something cool on her neck. No, make that something sharp. The man moved his knife-less hand from her shoulder to her waist and pulled her further into the alley, whispering in her ear, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, girly."

She stared, wide-eyed, immobilized by her own fear. She shook as his hand slowly slipped its way under her skirt and moved between her thighs. Squeezing her eyes shut, she focused on her growing hatred for this stranger. She contemplated her options in her mind; she could either cooperate and let him have his way with her, or she could try to run and possibly get killed in the process. Option two seemed like the obvious answer, but when she tried to move, she found her body refused to listen.

Tears leaked out the corners of her eyes as she felt her panties drop to her ankles. She felt his fingers moving behind her and the sound of a zipper coming undone. _Oh, Goddess! Please help me!_

A flash of bright blue fire erupted around her, sending a new heat through her body. The thug's grip loosened on her suddenly and she felt herself drop to the filthy ground. She took her chance to pull herself to her feet, kicking her underwear off to get more mobility. She tried to run but fell right back to her knees. Unwilling to waste her opportunity, she crawled on her hands and knees to put as much distance between herself and her attacker.

She felt a sharp pain in her head as she shuffled head-on into a dumpster. Turning, she pressed her back to the green metal and glanced around briefly to see what had happened. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw Cloud standing there, still in his bedraggled school uniform, holding the thug off the ground with one hand gripping his neck. Tifa watched, too frightened to move at this point, and cringed when she heard the satisfying choke coming from the ruffian's throat. Seconds later, his body went limp and he hung there, dead. The blond lowered him to the ground and laid him on his back, keeping his head in his lap.

Tifa felt a wave of nausea overcome her as he leaned over and buried his face in the dead man's neck. Unable to fight it anymore, she turned and threw up in the rainwater still on the ground. Cloud looked up at the sound, blood dripping down his lips, and seemed to realize for the first time that she was there. He stood slowly, dropping the man onto the ground with a thud, and made his way closer to her. His eyes glowed with the same intensity of the blue fire that had saved her as he knelt beside her, slowly tipping his chin towards her neck.

A feminine voice cried out, "_Vīsiō_!"

* * *

Please review!

-Valk


	4. Prologue 4: Is This What We Deserve?

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Prologue 4  
**_**Is This What We Deserve?**_

_**Cloud**_

"So the one thing I can't figure out about mortals…"

Just one thing, Zack?

"Is why do they call those things monkey wrenches? I mean, did monkeys use them or were they for beating bad monkeys or…?"

Like I know…

"I just can't figure it out…"

…or care. Finally, we're here. I move to push the door open as a cheerful voice that could only belong to one person fills my ears. "Hey! Nundinae! Iurgium! There you guys are!"

Zack turns and shoots a grin at his companion. "Hey, Aerith! Wassup?"

"I just split off from Seracor and came here. So! What should we get this time?"

Despite the apparent popular belief by mortals, judging by all the 'supernatural' stories I've stumbled across, demons don't have much larger appetites than humans. On the contrary, it's probably the opposite. I mean, we eat, but not that much.

Zack goes to open the door to the commercial building when a sound pierces through my finely-tuned vampiric hearing. A scream. To the south… It sounded like…

Tifa.

Before I can stop myself, my hand is reaching up and ripping my rosario from my neck and tossing it to Aerith. I take off in the direction of the scream, ignoring Aerith's complaints. In the back of my mind, I hear the sound of her summoning a stop spell and Zack transforming.

Without my rosario, my full potential is free. My feet move beneath me at a speed where human passerby's would just see a black blur, probably. I can't hear anything else and I pray to whatever God there might be that she's alright. Deep inside, I can't help but hope that it isn't her. My ears have never failed me before, though. I perk up, trying to pick up more sounds to point me in the right direction.

There. The scuffling of feet and small splashes of water. Wait, was that a zipper? Oh, _fuck_ no. I turn the corner and the sight makes my already blood-thirsty stomach hunger more. I'm not sure if it's the desire to see the disgusting mortal dead or my wish to have Tifa in my arms and open for my pleasure that makes me feel that way.

Not important right now.

I summon my flare powers and a small fire forms in my palm, growing slightly as I force myself to focus on it. I skid to a stop about ten feet away, hurling the flame and watching my power connect with the right side of the lowly mortal's face, burning it on contact. His scream echoes through the alley, feeding my hunger to a dangerous degree. I know I shouldn't let this go any further, but what could one little bite hurt?

My feet move beneath me, carrying me closer to him. My hand rises of its own accord and grips his throat, lifting him from the ground as my hold tightens. I hear him choking as his last breath fails him. His body falls limp in my grasp and I slowly lower him to the ground, just to make sure his blood isn't shifted too much. If there's one thing I hate, its shaken blood. It's been this long; I'm not going to ruin the one chance I have.

My fangs sink into his flesh, puncturing it for the feeding. Positioning my lips around the wounds, I start to drink his blood. Oh, _yeah!_ It might be foul blood, but it's blood. I'll take it where I can get it. The flavor slowly slips down my throat, almost sending me to shivers from the sensation. I haven't fed on a fresh human in almost nine years. The glory! The taste…!

A sound pierces through my thoughts, forcing me to search for the distraction. A beautiful brunette human sits in the rotten rainwater, a look of fear embedded on her gorgeous features. Her smell… She has got to be de_licious_…

A thud echoes in the back of my mind as I stand and slowly move towards her. Her neck looks so smooth and soft… The veins throbbing with every beat of her heart… Her blood… Her crimson blood…

Blood. Taste. Red. Girl. Blood. Skirt. Eyes. Fear. Taste. Blood. Rubies. Hunger. Veins. Red. Blood. Taste. Blood. Must… _Taste… Blood!!!_

_My mind refused to register what was going on then. It wasn't until later that I realized how sporadic my thoughts were. A vampire without the proper seal in the mortal realm is truly a dangerous thing._

_**Tifa**_

A feminine voice cried out, "_Vīsiō_!"

Seconds after Tifa felt two holes puncture into her skin, the smooth feeling of Cloud's lips on her neck left. He leaned back, away from her, blinking uncertainly. He reached back and slid his hand into his jacket pocket. His hand came back out with his cross, which Tifa just realized was missing, clutched within. Reaching up, he reattached it to his leather collar before moving back. He stood and extended a hand to Tifa to help her up. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to go so far…"

A small hand slapped Cloud's away and Tifa looked up to see Aerith standing there, hands on her hips and an oversized wolf sitting neatly behind her on its haunches. The petite girl glared at the blond. "What were you thinking!? You almost ruined her!"

Cloud's reply was monotonous, "If I hadn't done what I did, she would have been ruined in a different way."

"You took it too far! You should know better by now! You're irresponsible! As your _custos_, I hereby order you back to Orcus!"

"Fine. So be it." He ran his tongue over his lips, licking up the last drops of blood thereon.

"Wait!" Tifa managed to pull herself to her feet. "Cloud… Aerith… Um, Wolf-guy… I have absolutely no idea what just happened, but Cloud saved me from… from… Well, please don't punish him!"

"I get no recognition, do I?" the wolf spoke, slowly leaning over and, gradually, its fur began to retract into its body which was looking more human by the second. Finally, grey hair transitioned to black and he raised his head, a grin on his face.

"Zack…?"

Aerith turned to Tifa, shoulders shaking in visible anger. "You're right… You don't have any idea what happened. Tell me. How long was he feeding off of you?"

"What…? I…"

"How long was he drinking your blood?"

"I… Only a few seconds… I don't know exactly…"

"Fine. You really want him to stay? So be it. He's probably the only one who can help you at this point, anyway." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pink cell phone and dialed a number much longer than seven digits. She walked out of earshot, leaving Zack to watch over Cloud and Tifa.

The brunette bit her lip. "So… What just happened?"

Zack let his shoulders droop. "Sorry, I'm just Aerith's _comes_. I can't say anything without her permission."

Cloud sighed and crossed his arms. "You didn't have to do that. I was in the wrong… I deserve my punishment."

"I don't know what the hell you guys are or where you came from, but what I do know was that that guy was going to do something to me that could never unhappen… So, thank you."

Aerith walked over, snapping her phone closed. "Alright, Iurgium, the Dominus said you may stay… Your punishment is to stay with Seracor at all times and solve any adverse reactions your pleasures may have had on her."

Tifa looked over at her. "Wait. What?"

"Either he stays with you every moment of the day, or he goes back to Orcus. Your choice."

Tifa got the feeling that wherever Orcus was, it wasn't a very pleasant place. She pressed her palm to the bleeding marks on her neck. "But… My parents… I can't just bring a guy home and tell them I'm not allowed to leave his sight."

Aerith reached out, touching Tifa's hand pressed over her wound and whispered, "_Melior fieri!_"

Tifa stroked her neck slightly, no longer feeling the teeth marks. "Just one thing…" She wiped her blood on her skirt, feeling oddly exposed without her panties. "I need an explanation. Who exactly _are_ you?"

Aerith sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "That… would be difficult to answer. Suffice to say that we hail from Orcus, a realm parallel to this one, yet different in so many ways. I, as a council member, bring youths here to train. Iurgium has failed in his lesson. Nundinae accompanies me to the mortal realm as my _comes_. As you may have guessed, I am a witch, Nundinae a werewolf, and Iurgium a vampire. Very powerful, but hazardous without the proper training."

"I…" She fell to knees, holding her head. "This is too much…"

"If you do not wish to help Iurgium, I will erase your memory of this moment and you can go on as if this never happened."

"I… Can I try doing this thing with Cloud and change my mind later if it doesn't work?"

"Of course. He is in your debt now. He drank your blood. That is crime enough to warrant use of this." She reached into her book bag and withdrew a wooden stake.

"I'm assuming real-life vampires are like mythical ones in the stake-through-the-heart thing, huh?"

"Correct."

"Huh…"

Cloud walked up behind her. "The night is getting thicker. You need your sleep. We would be wise to return to your dwelling."

"Um, yeah…"

"One more thing…" Aerith touched her fingers to the blood still on Tifa's neck and moved to Cloud, smearing the crimson substance over his cross while mumbling, "_Ligare!_"

The blond touched his cross as the blood faded inside of it before turning to Tifa. "We're bound, now. I stray too far from you and I'll be deported to Orcus without another thought."

Tifa blinked. "Okay…"

Aerith flashed a bright smile. "Great! See you two in school tomorrow! I'll send Nundinae over with a clean uniform for you, okay, Iurgium?"

He nodded. "Yeah… Thanks, Aerith."

Tifa watched in surprise in their sudden transition from master and student to high school friends. She glanced at Cloud, who stared back. He blinked and gestured towards the street. "I'm following you."

"I, um, don't know where I am."

"Where do you live?"

"Third sector, sixth district."

"Follow me." He turned and started walking; pausing briefly to make sure she was following. She came up beside him and walked with her eyes on the ground. When they found their way to the sixth district, he paused turning to her for guidance. She looked around and, thank the Goddess, recognized where she was. She led him to her building, pausing when he grabbed her wrist.

She looked at him. "What?"

"You don't look sad."

"What?"

He didn't say anything; instead he gripped her wrist tighter, almost to the point of breaking it. She let out a whimper as a few tears ran down her face. Satisfied, he released her arm and turned to walk into the building. Cradling her hurt arm against her body, she caught up to him and stopped in front of him, slapping him as hard as she could with her unhurt hand. "What was that for?"

"My plan."

"What?"

"In order for my plan to work, you have to be sad. Sad and angry. But more sad."

"What?"

"Follow my lead."

"Oh, fine." She didn't have any ideas to get him into her home. Might as well go with his. She gave an involuntary shudder and let her tears fall with a trembling lip. She ran after Cloud to catch up with him and led him up to the elevator. She opened her apartment door and walked inside, getting tackled by her mother almost immediately.

The blonde woman screamed into her daughter's hair, "Good heavens! Where were you!?"

Tifa felt another round of tears slip down her cheeks. "Mom, I…"

Cloud took a step forward, walking into her home. "I suggest she get a shower and get cleaned up. This is going to be a chaotic tale."

Tifa's father stood from his place on the couch. "And you are…?"

"Apologies. I'm Cloud Strife. A classmate and friend from Tifa's school. I arrived just in time to prevent her from being raped."

Her parents reacted together, "_What!?_"

Her father collected himself first. He turned to Tifa. "Is this true?"

She felt the tears well up in her eyes and managed a weak nod. "Mm-hm…"

Her mother turned back to her and embraced her again. "Goddess bless you, sweetie." She turned to her husband. "Call the police."

Tifa pushed away from her mother's embrace. "No! I… You can't!"

Cloud remained completely silent as her mother looked at her. "Why?"

"Because then people at school will hear about it and then they'll all distance themselves from me and mock me for it and… and…"

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but we can't let that monster roam the streets. He could hurt someone else… and they might not have a good boy like… I'm sorry. What did you say you're name was?"

The blond kept his gaze steady. "Cloud."

"They might not have a good boy like Cloud to help them."

"Fine… Do what you have to… Just… tell the police to keep it quiet, please?"

"Of course, sweetie." She walked over to Cloud and pulled him into an embrace. "Thank you. Thank you for helping her. If there's anything we can do…"

"I can't think of anything…" He turned to the door. "I'll be leaving now."

Tifa took her queue and reached out to him. "Wait!"

He paused. "Hn?"

"Can you stay?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I… I'd feel much safer if you were here… Please stay."

"Tifa, I…" He sighed and looked to her parents. "Is it alright if I stay?"

They exchanged a glance before her mother spoke, "What about your parents?"

"I'm here as an exchange student. My friends will cover for me if they know I'm helping Tifa."

"I see." She turned to Tifa. "If it'll make you feel better, he can stay in Genesis's room, okay?"

A smile crossed the younger girl's face. "Thank you…"

……

Tifa sat at the table the next morning, eating her oatmeal. Cloud leaned against the counter, watching her while helping himself to a glass of cranberry juice. A knock sounded from the door and when Tifa moved to stand, Cloud held a hand out in a 'sit' kind of way and moved to the door. Glancing through the peephole first, he turned the locks and opened the door to reveal a bright and happy Zack holding a paper bag. Cloud stepped to the side to let him in, but he shook his head and held the bag towards him. Cloud took it and glanced inside before shutting the door on the leaving werewolf. He reached in the bag and held a clean uniform for her to see before heading to the bathroom to change.

Half an hour later, the two of them got off the train near the school, Cloud following closer than her own shadow. She shrugged uncomfortably. "So… How far apart can we be exactly?"

He looked at his cross for a brief moment as if examining it for something. "Judging by the spell level, I'd say eighteen feet, give or take."

"Mm… Wait. _Eighteen feet_? What the…? How are we supposed to do school? We're only in three classes together…"

"Not anymore."

"Huh?"

……

When third period—her first class without Cloud—came around, she walked in the direction of her class with the blond following unnaturally close. She passed through the door and took her seat, watching to see what Cloud would do. He walked around behind her and leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. She sat throughout class, taking notes and glancing back from time to time at her recently acquired guardian.

Once the bell rang, he stepped forward and waited beside her as she gathered her books together. They left and made their way to fourth period where she took her assigned seat in the second row while Cloud looked around for a decent spot to lean against. Finding none, he walked over and swung his leg over the back of her chair, sliding in behind her. Feeling a blush burn at her cheeks, she remained facing the teacher.

She forced herself to concentrate on note-taking, but seven minutes into the class, he reached up and took her pencil from her, whispering in her ear, "How do you humans live like this?" He touched the pencil to the paper and copied the lesson word-for-word, as quickly as the instructor spoke.

Tifa watched in surprise as he jotted down the notes with practiced ease. She glanced slightly to the right to find his face almost right next to hers, focusing on the sheet of paper before him. She licked her lips briefly and turned back to the teacher with a tight feeling in her stomach she couldn't explain.

* * *

Please review!

-Valk


	5. Prologue 5: Paradise Poetry

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Prologue 5  
**_**Paradise Poetry**_

_**Tifa**_

They made their way to the cafeteria at noon and went through the line. After receiving their trays they headed over to the table where Aerith sat, now waiting on Zack. The blond and brunette sat down next to each other, the latter casting flushed glances at the former. Zack came over a moment later and dropped his tray next to Aerith's before sitting down next to her, regular grin in place. "So, how was your first morning under your binding?"

Tifa felt her blush deepen, but managed to shrug it off as the deep voice beside her replied. "Fine."

Aerith linked her fingers before her, elbows resting on the table. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

"Good. Because of your irresponsibility, you've been discharged as my student and Nundinae and I have been called back to Orcus."

"What does that mean for me? Will someone else come to babysit me?"

"No. You are Seracor's property now, in every sense of the word. She decides when you will be ready to return to Orcus, when you will be ready to break to curse, when you will be ready to be considered an adult. If she ever deems you worthy, of course. You belong to her family, her blood. If she should die before accepting you, then you will be passed on to her children; and then to her children's children. You also have leave to tell her anything you deem necessary about our people."

"I see."

"Is that all you can say? I just told you that you are a slave to a mortal and all you can say is, 'I see'?"

"What more should I say?"

Aerith sighed. "You are hopeless. Well, Seracor, I wish you the best of luck."

The younger girl managed a weak smile. "Um, thank you?"

"No problem." She smiled. "We'll be leaving at the end of the week."

_**Cloud**_

I sit on the edge of the six-foot planter outside school. Tifa sits down a little ways from me, shy for some reason. She bites into her sandwich and my memory flashes back to two days ago, when I tasted her. She keeps her eyes down as she swallows her food before raising her gaze. She stares straight ahead, not looking at me and speaks, "Cloud…?"

My reply is more of a grunt than anything else. "Hn?"

"What… What's Orcus like?"

I snap my textbook closed and set it down. I haven't been hungry in almost two whole days. Judging by the amount of blood I drank, I probably won't be hungry for another two weeks. I sigh and answer her question with a brief, "It's hell."

She nods slowly. "I see. How sad…"

Against my better judgment, I turn to face her. "Why?"

"It's sad that you've spent your whole life in such a miserable place…"

I fight the chuckle deep inside my throat. Tifa _was_ my master, after all. Wouldn't be a good idea to get on her bad side. "Don't misunderstand me. Hell to a demon is like…" I look around for an example. "It's like soil to a tree. It's bland, it's stereotypical, but all-in-all, it's where we belong."

Her expression shifts to one of understanding. "You never answered my question. What is Orcus like?"

"It's… home. There're always flames on every side. There's no outside; everything is inside dark and dismal caverns. Every breed has their own district where they can be 'safe' from all other breeds."

"What do you mean when you say 'breeds'?"

"Vampires, flares, witches, werewolves, succubuses, necromancers, artisans… So on and so forth."

"How many breeds are there?"

I shrug. "I have no idea. At least a good twenty or thirty, I'd say. Maybe more. Why?"

A faint blush burns softly at her cheeks, enhancing the ruby light of her eyes. "It's just… I want to get to know you better. That's all."

I lean back, using my palms as support to keep myself on the oversized planter. "If that's the case, you're asking all the wrong questions." She shoots me a look but I shrug it off. "Sure, asking about the place where I grew up might help you _understand_ me, but it won't teach you about _who_ I am."

"Alright…" She crossed her arms. "So tell me about yourself, then."

"Later. We have five minutes to get to our next class."

She glances at her watch. "Oh! Alright, let's go, um, what was it? Iurgeos?"

I roll my eyes. "Iurgium. But, please, call me 'Cloud,' master."

"If you stop calling me 'master.' I hate this stupid food-chain deal. The strong lead the weak? What sort of garbage is that?"

"'The strong lead the weak because the weak are not strong enough to lead themselves.'"

"What's that?"

"That's a common demon saying used to describe our leadership methods."

"Oh."

"Does it make any more sense to you now?"

"Not really… It still seems insane to me."

"It's insane to me, too."

……

I follow her back to her home for the forth night in a row, wondering how long this will last before her parents find out I've been sleeping on her balcony. She opens the front door and walks inside. I follow closely, unable to get enough of her scent. Sure, I may have tasted her, but that only lasts so long. It'll last a little while, but then I'll start to hunger again. It's the unbreakable cycle.

She lifts a piece of paper from the counter and reads it briefly before turning to me. "My mom went shopping, so I guess it's just us until my dad gets home."

I nod. "I see. Then we can finish our conversation from lunch."

She sits on the couch and pulls notebook from her bag, observing my penmanship from fourth period. "Alright… So, um…What exactly are vampires?"

I raise an eyebrow. "What are humans?"

She blushes. God, she's beautiful when she blushes. "I meant… What does it mean to be a vampire?"

"I don't follow."

"What can you do? I mean, monsters have special powers, right?"

I can't help it. I laugh. A full, rich, arrogant laugh. "First off, you would be wise not to address any of my kind as 'monsters.' We much prefer 'demon.'"

She looks startled by my reaction. I guess I can't blame her. "O-okay. I'll remember that…"

"Secondly, while I wouldn't call them 'powers,' yes, we do have… abilities… mortals do not."

She slides forward on the sofa, interested in my response. "Like what?"

I scratch the back of my head, unsure of how to reply. "You asked about vampires, so… We are one of the more physical breeds; along with succubuses and werewolves. The latter are closer to the magic side because of their transformations—like you saw with Zack—while succubuses nature is somewhat more magical as a whole. They have a… unnatural… way with the body. It's not entirely magical, but it's not physical, either."

"But what about vampires?"

"We are the most physical of all the breeds. Everything we do is natural. We are powered by our lust for human blood. It… drives us. Unlike a succubus's desire for fucking, ours is uncontrollable except by a rosario. If I were to remove this-" I hold up my rosario for emphasis "-I would lose all control of my senses and probably would have sucked every drop of blood from your body by now."

She releases a gasp. "What can you do, though?"

"Vampires don't get fancy spells like witches or puppet mastery like necromancers. All of our abilities are, like I said, purely physical. Strength, hearing, smell, taste, eyesight… Our senses are developed far beyond that of other demons."

"So, let me get this straight. Succubuses, um, get physical for fun?"

I sigh. "We do, too, but ours is dangerous for mortals. Ours is in our nature for survival, while damn succubuses _just_ go for pleasure. They have no need to actually have sex."

"Okay… So, do vampires have sex, too?"

My eyebrow rises again and I can feel my heartbeat quicken. "Are you suggesting something?"

My appearance must look pretty calm still, because she doesn't seem to realize what she just did to me. A bright blush burns at her face and she hides behind her hands. "No! I didn't mean…! I… I just…" Her voice drops to a whisper, "Oh, my Goddess… I can't believe I said that…!"

"To answer your question, yes. Even vampires have their desires… and the need to procreate."

Her face remains hidden in her hands. "I… I see… I…"

"It was a simple slip of the tongue. Don't dwell on it for too long. Any other questions?"

She finally collects herself, slowly rising again with the heat still showing on her face. "Oh… Uh… What about… What about that fire?"

"Hm?"

"That blue fire… It saved me… It was you, wasn't it?"

I nod slowly. "Yes, that was my flame."

"But… You said vampires don't have any magical abilities."

My gaze lowers. "That's because… Well…"

She stutters a quick apology, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bring back any bad memories or anything…"

Another sigh. "You are my master. If you want to know, I have to speak."

"Cloud, that's… That's not right. If you want to give up your freedom, so be it. But I'm not going to sacrifice my equal-opportunity way of thinking for some stupid mistake."

I look back up to her, locking my gaze onto hers. "Is that so?"

She nods defiantly. "If I must be your master, then at least let me be a merciful one."

I shrug. "You are the master. The choice is yours."

……

I stack Tifa's stuff together and stand from forth period. I hate mortal history. It so frickin' boring. I mean, what the heck do I care about the past of Gaia? Seriously? I was much happier with the damn chemistry class I had before I started following Tifa. Granted, she makes it worth it, but still… It's still a pain in the ass.

"Cloud?"

I look up at her. Damn, she's beautiful. "Yeah?"

"Um, lunch?"

"Oh, right." I gesture towards the door, letting her go first like the gentleman I am. A gentleman that drinks the blood of gorgeous mortals, but still… If you were in my place, you'd have done the same thing. Just trust me on this one.

She walks out the door, turning to make sure I'm following before heading towards her locker to get our lunches and deposit her crap from class. I'd started leaving my lunch in her locker since it was an overall time-saver.

We head to the front door, our regular lunch spot, and I set my lunch on the planter. I move behind Tifa and set my hands on her waist. She gasps as I easily lift her up to the ledge. I pull myself up next to her and pick up my lunch sack. I dig around inside, fully aware of her eyes on me, and pull a sandwich made of some kind of mortal livestock.

I give a sigh and finally turn to face her, no longer having an excuse to look away. I know the look in her eyes is going to kill me. It always does.

I'm surprised when she turns away. What the…? I keep my hands to myself as I ask, "Tifa?"

She still doesn't look. "Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

Still her eyes stay on the pleats of her skirt. "I'm fine. Why?"

I know I'm not going to win this one. "You're just… acting unusually."

"No, I'm not. I'm just fine."

I hate having to stoop this low. "You were really stiff during class, too."

She finally glances at me out of the corner of her eye. It's only a brief glance then her eyes are back to her knees. "As if you know."

"You were practically on my lap." Shut up, shut up, shut up! Stop talking! Now! This is only going to make things worse between us. She already hates me for clinging like a snake to shadows…

"Cloud… I…"

"Iurgium! Seracor!" Aerith comes out the front of the school with Zack in tow, waving high over her head. She stops in front of us and smiles. "We're going back to Orcus tonight, so if you want to say good-bye, stop by the apartment after school."

A new thought occurs to me. "Do I need to move my stuff out?"

Aerith gives her head a shake. "Nope! Orcus will continue to fund the place, so it'll be yours for awhile."

I nod. "Thanks."

Zack grins from behind his companion. "So, Cloud, are you gonna miss me?"

I shake my head, laughing my ass off on the inside. "Nope."

His shoulders slump a little. "Aw, man… Can't you lie and make me feel a little better?"

"Nope."

Aerith laughs and rubs a hand through her companion's hair, scratching him behind the ear to appeal to his dog side. "Don't worry, Nundinae. I still love you for all your quirks."

"Aw, thanks, Aerith."

I notice Tifa has been uncharacteristically quiet through this conversation. She's usually flying off the handle, asking a whole frickload of questions about Orcus and demons. I am definitely going to be talking to her about this later.

_**Tifa**_

After lunch that Friday, Tifa walked through the halls, Cloud right behind her, and paused at an open doorway. She pushed the door open the rest of the way and pulled the blond in with her by the wrist. He let her, seeing as to how he didn't have much choice, and stopped and blinked in silence as she clicked the door shut behind her. She came closer to him and set her hands on his chest, feeling his breath hitch as she stepped ever nearer, tipping her chin to take his lips with her own. Pressing her body closer to his, she brought her hands up to twist in his golden spikes.

He kissed her back, albeit a little reluctantly. At first, he seemed content letting her have her way with him; but after tasting the sweet strawberry of her lip gloss, he met her in fierce battle for control. He gently set his hands on her hips and slid them up her back as the kiss intensified.

She felt his tongue flicker against her lips and, having never been kissed like this before, hesitantly parted them for him. Almost instantly his tongue found its way into her mouth, massaging her own moist muscle with every motion. Overcome by the sensation, she fought with him, eventually gaining access to explore his mouth. She slid her tongue between his parted lips and curled it around his teeth, grinding it on his overlong incisors—the proof of his vampirism. She heard a low, strangled groan escape his throat as she teased his fangs, apparently striking an effective chord.

She couldn't help the disappointment deep within her as he pulled back, looking her in the eye. She gazed back, unwilling to surrender this moment. "Cloud…"

His intense blue stare searched her features for a sign of anything as he whispered, "Tifa… Why…?"

Unable to take the heat of his eyes any longer, she buried her face in his neck and spoke, "Cloud… I… If I'm going to be stuck with you for the rest of my life, I want to spend it the way my heart tells me to."

His shoulders sagged slightly. "I drank your blood… I am yours now."

"I don't want to be with you like this unless you're happy with it… Even if I 'own' you… I want you to feel the same way about me as I do about you."

"Tifa…" He settled his cheek against her hair. "You have nothing to worry about. When I drank your blood, I tasted your being… When you kissed me, I tasted your hunger… Now, all I want is to taste all of you… Your body, blood, and soul."

"Cloud…" She tightened her grip around his shoulders. "And taste me you will…"

_**Cloud**_

I follow Tifa down the hall to sixth period when she suddenly reaches out and grabs my wrist, pulling me off to the side. Don't laugh at me. I was taken by surprise.

I look around the empty classroom. "Tifa, I don't think our class is-"

I feel my breath hitch in my throat as her slender fingers slowly feel their way up my chest. The thin fabric of my undershirt does little to block out the heat of her palms. I barely get a breath in before her lips softly tread over mine. She starts slow, brushing her lips back and forth over mine and then pressing harder to seal her mouth over mine.

Wait. What? What the-? I thought she hated me… Since when does hate turn into this? Oh, shit… I thought her _blood_ tasted good? Well, it did, but her mouth… On top of her fruity lip balm, she tastes like… passion and grace. I know. It sounds dumb, but that's what I taste.

It occurs to me finally that she's been kissing me and I'm just standing there. Crap! She's probably starting to think I don't like her! Damn it! Wait… How… do you… kiss…? I've never kissed anyone before… Fuck! Oh, shit. Bad choice of words. Stop thinking, Strife, and just go with it! There's got to be tons of people this age who've never kissed before.

I know it involves your tongue… kind of… Alright, let's just try this. I angle my chin a little to fit my mouth against hers better. There. That feels… way too damn good for something so simple.

Her hands slip slowly upwards to twist into my hair. Ow. I'm really regretting my lack of a comb this week. She doesn't seem to notice as she grips more tightly. Ow.

Oh, right. Hands. What do I do with those? Shoulders? Too awkward. Waist? She's not close enough. Butt? Waaayyy too awkward. Hips? Hips could work. Slowly, and still a bit unsure, I set my palms on her hips.

I must've done something right. Suddenly, her body lurches forward, pressing closer to mine. At this proximity, she _must_ be able to feel what she's doing to me.

Hips don't feel right anymore. My hands slowly crawl up to her back and press against her shoulder blades, pulling her closer. That feels nice.

Alright… Tongue… Tongue… How does this work? Just… get past her lips and… move around? That's my best guess. Let's just do this as we go. First step: get past her lips. I guess I just… push past? Her mouth is still closed against mine, so should I be gentle and let her know I want to explore or just force my way in? Who am I kidding? This is Tifa! She deserves the best and most gentlemanly behavior I can give.

I part my lips slowly and rub the tip of my tongue against her mouth. It takes her a little bit, but eventually her lips part for me. My tongue is inside her mouth before I can stop myself. Whatever happened to 'gentleman,' Strife? Oh-ho-ho… _Now_ I know why mortals jam their tongues in each others' throats. The sensations are just… I always thought it was disgusting when I heard the succubuses talking. But now…? Well, suffice to say my opinion has changed.

A shiver echoes through her body, vibrating into my hands. Oh, God… I'm starting hunger again. I didn't think I'd even consider it for another week or so.

Her tongue starts to run against mine, pushing me back and fighting to explore my mouth. This isn't supposed to happen! Tifa, you… Damn it! She's winning! This can't be happening! I like being in her mouth!

She finally gets her way and forces her way into my mouth. Oh, hey… No, I can deal. Mm… I had no idea how sensitive my fangs were to her advances. My throat starts to tighten a little as a moan pushes its way up. Damn, how does she know to do these things? How in the chains of Orcus does she know how to spur a seventeen-year-old vampire?

Oh, fuck, no. I can't take this. If I let this last any longer, I'll end up with either my fangs in her neck or my pants at my ankles.

I force myself to pull away from her and look her in the eye, hating myself for letting it get as far as it did. I mean, I just sucked my master's lips off! Granted, she initiated it, but still… Nothing can happen between us. I'm foolish for even thinking there might be a chance. We might be close in age now, but she's a mortal; her body will age while mine will mature to early-twenties and stop. It just won't work.

"Cloud…" My name slips past her lips and the tenderness with which she speaks almost has me leaning back to her.

I watch her eyes watching me. I know she wants more from me, but it… it can't happen. Finally, I reach up and tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear while whispering, "Tifa… Why…?"

Her face rams into my neck as her hold tightens on my shoulders. "Cloud… I… If I'm going to be stuck with you for the rest of my life, I want to spend it the way my heart tells me to."

Oh, crap. She… Oh, crap, crap, and double crap. This is _not_ good. I'm about to tell her we can't be together when a forgotten factor jumps into my brain. Suddenly, I feel very depressed. My shoulders droop. "I drank your blood. I am yours now."

I can hear the anger slipping into her tone. "I don't want to be with you like this unless you're happy with it… Even if I 'own' you… I want you to feel the same way about me as I do about you."

I run a hand through her hair before resting my cheek on the silken tresses. "Tifa… You have nothing to worry about. When I drank your blood, I tasted your being… When you kissed me, I tasted your hunger… Now, all I want is to taste all of you… Your body, blood, and soul."

"Cloud…" Her grip on my shoulders tightens. "And taste me you will…"

"Tifa, that's… If you're saying what I think you're saying, then that can't ever happen. Not now, not ten years from now, not ever. Mortals and demons aren't… allowed. It just won't work."

"Cloud, that's not… I mean, I…" Her head shifts a little against my neck. "We are ridiculously late for class."

"Who gives a shit?"

She pulls back to leave. "I do, Cloud. My parents would flip if they found out I skipped class to make out."

I reach out to catch her wrist. "Tifa, this is important. Yes, you are my master. Yes, you can tell me what to do. Yes, I'll blindly follow because I screwed up royally. But, Tifa… What you're suggesting…It can't _ever_ happen."

She turned around, yanking her wrist free from my hold, and made for the door. I follow, thoughts to make sure she's alright more consuming than the fact that I'll be deported if I get too far away.

I grab her wrist as she tries to run. "Tifa! Listen to me."

She turns to me; the tears running down her face making me forget what I was going to say. "What?" she snaps.

"I…" My hand comes up to brush her tears away. She doesn't try to stop me, but doesn't lean into my touch, either. "Tifa… What I said… That's law. I can't. It's not because I don't want it, too. If I could, I would."

"Cloud… I just… I've never felt like this before. That was… That was my first real kiss, too. I mean, guys have given me quick kisses on the cheek and stuff, but not like that. That was… totally new to me."

"Tifa…?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you believe me if I said that was my first kiss ever?"

"Cloud…?"

"Hm?"

"If we can't… If we're not supposed to… If your laws say… Can we still… you know… have a relationship?"

"You mean… like dating?" I think that's the word mortals use, anyway.

"Yeah… Dating."

"As long as we can stay chaste, it shouldn't be a problem."

* * *

We all know how that'll turn out, right? I mean, this story _is_ rated M…

Please review!

-Valk


	6. Prologue 6: My Fall Will Be for You

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Prologue 6  
**_**My Fall Will be for You**_

_**Tifa**_

When the day was over, Tifa followed Cloud out of the building, reaching out and slipping her hand into his with a casual motion. He squeezed her hand back before pausing mid-stride and pulling her closer to him, pressing his lips to hers. She melted under his gentle caress as his fingers eased their way up her spine. He broke it off, pulling back from her before turning and pulling her along after him.

They kept their hands linked as he led her to the apartment he shared with Aerith and Zack. After riding the elevator to the fifth floor, he released her hand and unlocked the door, pushing it open. Zack and Aerith were moving about, packing up random things that Tifa had no idea what they were. The latter looked up with a smile. "Hello, Seracor, Iurgium. Here to say good-bye?"

Cloud nodded. "Yeah."

Tifa bit her lip uncertainly, wondering where she was supposed to go. Cloud's apartment looked cozy, yet almost as messy as if monsters were living there. She mentally slapped her forehead; there _were_ monsters—Er, demons—living there. Not wanting to escape their distance limit, she followed Cloud to his room, unsure of what to expect.

He pushed the door open, and other than the closed blinds and other fabric shielding the windows, it was a relatively normal room. A bed on one side, a nightstand, a desk, a dresser… An alarm clock, books stacked high, an assortment of different crosses and rosaries hanging on the wall, and-

"Garlic?" Tifa let out a small snort at the sight of three cloves hanging from the ceiling.

"Not all mortal myths are accurate…" He walked over, took one of the cloves in his hand and sniffed it. "I happen to like the smell of garlic."

She let out a little giggle. "I like the taste… And the smell, sometimes, but if I'm going to be bunking with you then we're gonna have to talk."

"You make it sound as if we're getting married."

Blushing furiously, she punched him on the shoulder and stuttered a laugh. "You wish."

"Damn right I do."

She froze. "Wha…?"

The door creaked open and Aerith poked her head in. "Alright, we're gonna head out now. If you need help, you can always call."

Cloud turned to face her. "Thanks, Aerith. I know I haven't been the best student, but I was lucky to have a teacher like you."

"Oh, pfft!" She waved a hand in front of her face. "Never mind that, Iurgium! You concentrate on getting used to living with Seracor, here."

"I know. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate everything you did for me."

"You know I don't mind. Come here!" She stretched her arms out in front of her for a hug, which he reluctantly granted. She squeezed his shoulders briefly and stepped back. "Make me proud, Iurgium!"

"I intend to."

"Good!"

Tifa took a step forward. "Could I have a hug, too? If it wasn't for you, I probably never would've met any of you guys…"

Her smile faded as she crossed her arms. "Are you blaming me for your pet?"

"No! And Cloud's not my 'pet,' either! I was being thankful!"

A grin flashed back to her features. "I know. I was just making sure. Of course you can have a hug, Seracor!"

Tifa reached out to embrace the first friend she'd made in Midgar, a friend she'd just met earlier this week. She pulled her tightly against her, thankful to have her on her side. They stayed like that for a good, long moment until Tifa heard the jingle of her cell phone in her pocket. She pulled back, glanced apologetically at Aerith and answered it, "Hello?"

Her mother's voice sounded from the other end, "Where in the world are you?"

"I'm at-" she thought better than to say Cloud's "-Aerith's."

"Who's Aerith?'

"She's a friend."

"Oh, I see."

"Mom…?" She cast a small glance in Cloud's direction.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I was wondering… Could I spend the night here? Aerith's a good friend."

She was silent for a moment. "Can I talk to her?"

"Sure! Just a sec!" Tifa moved the phone away from her ear and tapped Aerith on the shoulder. "Would you mind talking to my mother and convince her that you're a good enough friend to let me spend the night here? You know, because of the binding thing?"

"Of course! Let me talk!" She took the phone from Tifa and spoke into the receiver, "Hello, Mrs. Seracor! Mm-hm… I'm Aerith…"

Tifa turned back to where Zack and Cloud were engaged in a guys' farewell. In other words, Zack held Cloud under one arm in a massive noogie attack with no mercy at all.

……

Cloud and Tifa sat on the couch of his apartment after seeing Zack and Aerith off to Orcus. Turns out, it wasn't much more than watching them walk through a floor-length mirror that hung in the living room. Tifa sat with her hands in her lap. "So… Now what?"

He turned to look at her out of the corner of his eye. "Hm?"

"Well, my mom thinks I'm at an all-girl sleepover, so I guess we're home-free to do what we want."

He twisted in his seat to face her full-on. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. You could show me around. I'll probably be spending quite a bit of time here, anyway."

He stood, extending a hand to help her up and spoke, "There really isn't much to see… Especially since Zack and Aerith left…"

"Mm… Well, I'd still like to see it."

"Alright…" He shrugged slightly. "This way."

He waved around the main room pointing to the different sections as he named them. "Living room, kitchen, dining area…" He turned and led her down the hall, pointing to different doors. "Bathroom, my room, Aerith's 'office,' Zack's and Aerith's bedroom…"

"They shared a room? Wouldn't it make more sense for you and Zack to share since you're both guys?"

A tiny smile crept onto his lips. "You have no idea what '_comes'_ means, do you?"

"Ahh… No… I assumed it meant 'attendant,' or something…"

"'_Comes'_ means 'companion.' Their relationship is similar to that of a mortal husband and wife. Zack follows Aerith because it is custom for the weaker _comes_ to follow the stronger."

"Okay… I really have no idea what that means."

"Don't worry. You'll understand eventually," he chuckled.

"If you say so." She paused, glancing around. "We still have a good hour before we should turn in…"

"Yeah…" He smirked. "I guess homework is always an option."

"I suppose. I'll grab my bag."

"Yeah. We can work in my room. You can have the desk. I always work better on the bed, anyway."

"Okay."

She walked back to the living room and grabbed her bag off the couch before heading back to his room where she found him standing at his desk with his back turned, digging his own books out of the stack of junk. She set the bag down and walked up behind him, footsteps silent yet she didn't doubt he could hear her, and rested her head on his back, breathing softly and listening to his heartbeat. His shoulders relaxed slightly at the contact and she couldn't help but feel a consuming heat building in the pit of her stomach. She set a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face her, bringing her lips to touch his.

His hands found her petite middle, absently teasing the waistband of her skirt. Feeling her way from his hair and down his neck, she stopped her roaming with her hands on his chest. She slid them under the open fabric of his jacket and button-down shirt, pushing it off his shoulders to rest at his elbows. He paused, pulling back from her, and whispered in the dark room, "Are you sure…?"

"Yes…" Her monosyllabic response spurred him further, arousal building against the insides of her thighs, the closeness of their bodies making it impossible for her to miss. He released her waist and let his forcefully-removed clothing fall to the floor in a crumpled pile before undoing the buttons of her jacket and pushing it off to join his.

She slid her knee between his, her body functioning on autopilot as she fervently attacked his mouth. He retaliated to her advances, grasping the zipper of her skirt and tugging it down to let the plaid material fall to her bare ankles. Shifting his hands to rest on the backs of her thighs, he tugged her off her feet, lifting her up to straddle his hips. He carried her over to the bed and set her down softly before crawling up to kneel between her parted legs.

Hands on his shoulders, she smoothed them down over the tight material of his undershirt and slipped them under the hem, flipping it off over his head and tossing it to the side. Wanting only to return the favor, he pulled at the buttons to her shirt, succeeding to push the two sides apart to reveal her breasts, still clad in a lacey white bra. He gave a smirk as he realized said bra clasped in the front. Slipping a hand between them, he freed the hook and pushed it to the side. She arched her back and released a moan of pleasure as he softly teased the mountainous flesh with his lips. Her hands slipped behind his neck to unfasten the leather band holding his cross, but his free hand came up to pull her touch away, slowly shaking his head 'no.' Instead, she felt her way down his beautifully sculpted torso, finding the buckle to his belt and tried in vain to unfasten it. Supporting himself on one elbow, he lowered his other hand to assist her in her task.

Buckle released, she undid the button and zipper of his slacks and hooked her thumbs into the waistband of his boxers, pushing them down as far as she could in her current position. He gave a sigh of relief as his erection found the freedom of its confinement and kicked his pants off the rest of the way. Slipping two fingers into the waistband of her panties, he tugged them down in one fell swoop and tossed the damp cotton to join the rest of their discarded clothing. Gently, he touched his palm to her breast, swirling the thumb over her tightened nipple before curling his fingers and running his knuckles to her bare stomach, caressing downwards to her hip. Reaching her thigh, he paused, vaguely unsure of what to do next. His body made his mind for him, trailing his fingers closer to her center.

She groaned against the building anticipation deep in her stomach as his soft fingertips teased her entrance. She released a gasp of surprise as two of his fingers found their way between her folds and began to massage her sweet spot. Her moans of pleasure sounded loudly in his ears, fueling him on. His fingers continued their dance within her, twisting and teasing. She gripped his shoulders until her knuckles turned white in a feeble attempt to stabilize herself from his relentless attacks.

Her mind was racing, cruising on a sexual high. She felt about to lose it in every possible meaning of the word when his fingers slowly retreated from within her. Releasing a gasp, she forced her eyes open to look at him. He was still perched above her, supporting himself with one hand while his other slowly rose up to eye level. She watched in breathless curiosity as he smoothly slipped his fingers between his lips to taste her liquid. His eyes closed in ecstasy as he licked his fingers clean, processing the flavor of her.

His eyes snapped open again, watching her watch him, and rearranged his position above her, lining his tip up to her entrance. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the impact of his breach. Feeling nothing, she peeked up at him to find him perfectly still, eyes full of emotion as he silently asked her permission one more time.

Closing her eyes once more, she gave her unspoken response by placing her hands on his hips and bringing him down to her. He grunted at the initial contact, relaxing slightly as his body accustomed to the sensation. A low growl passed through his lips and a small smile formed on her face in response. Bracing the bed beside her, he withdrew slightly before thrusting down again. She gasped, clutching his shoulders as he moved in and slipped out again over and over, trailing light kisses along her jaw line and down her neck in his wake.

All too quickly, a blinding light filled her vision as she came. Feeling the urge to scream, she bit down on his shoulder to keep it in. She tasted blood as her teeth clenched more tightly around his flesh. His fangs scraped softly on her flesh, itching to pierce her the way she had him. The intensity of her orgasm passed, she released his shoulder and flopped back against the pillow, cooing to the darkness, "Do it… I don't mind…"

A little reluctantly, he slid his lips to the pulse point on her neck, suckling it before parting his lips and biting his incisors into her neck. His body stiffened above her as he reached his own limit, his seed spilling into her before milliseconds had passed.

She lay there, breathing heavily as his body slumped down on top of her from his own exhaustion. Slowly, he raised his head to rest his forehead on hers, whispering, "Why did you let me…?"

She released a low moan. "You wanted it… You wanted to taste me, remember…?"

"Tifa… I didn't…"

"It's okay. I don't mind. If this is the price to pay to be with you, I'll gladly pay it."

"Tifa…"

"Don't… Not now…"

He grunted a response before bracing his hand next to her and slowly pulling himself out of her. He dropped down beside her, reaching down to pull the spare bedspread up over them. She gave a small moan and snuggled up against him, giving in to the impending sleep clawing at her brain.

_**Cloud**_

I lay in bed the next morning, my arm wrapped around Tifa's back. The sweet scents of blood and sweat are so much more welcome then the smells of Midgar. I look down as a groan comes from her lips and her face buries into my side. I can't help myself and I lean down to press a kiss to her hair, teasing, "Not much of a morning person, are we?"

Her reply is muffled but I can clearly hear her. "Shut up, vampire."

I laugh, her sweetness filling me with a happiness I never knew before. "Why should I?"

She glares up at me, her eyes squinted in the morning sunlight. "Because your master commands."

My smile fades instantly at the blunt reminder of our predicament. "Of course."

Her gaze relaxes a little and her ruby eyes look up at me as she replies, "I'm kidding, Cloud."

What the…? Her eyes… They… They're… Oh, shit… I did _not_ do this to her… She can't… I swallow my spit and run a hand through her hair. "Tifa…"

She squinted in the light once more. "What?"

"Your eyes… They're…" This _can't_ be good.

"What, Cloud? What about my eyes?"

"They're… glowing…" Aerith is gonna be _so_ pissed with me.

"What are you talking about…?" Her face disappears into my side again, hiding her beautiful eyes from my view again.

"Hang on… I need to call someone." I struggle to untangle myself from her and crawl over her to get out of bed, stark naked. I turn to look at her to see her face disappear into my pillow, her hands pulling it close to block out the sunlight. I can totally understand that.

I quickly scan my room and locate my pants lying in a heap on the floor near my desk. I pick them up--What do you know? My boxers stayed inside--and dig in the front right pocket and pull out my cell phone. I flip it open and dial a twelve-digit number from memory. Damn mortal phones don't have the capacity to fit twelve digits into the friggin' phonebook…

Moving on, I wait while tapping my foot on the wooden floor. The line picks up and Aerith's voice sounds from the other end, "Miss me already, Iurgium?"

"Aerith… I need your help. Something's not right with Tifa."

Her attention snaps completely onto my voice and I can easily imagine her leaning forward in her throne. "What do you mean?"

I run a hand down my forehead, panic starting to settle in. "The curtains are drawn, yet she's still complaining of how bright the sun is; her eyes are unnaturally bright and she's just lying in bed, groaning whenever I try to talk to her…"

"Check her teeth."

"Just a sec." I step back over to the bed and kneel down beside Tifa, setting the phone on the nightstand. I smooth one hand over Tifa's back and slip the other under her mess of hair to try to feel her teeth. My index finger manages to get into her mouth and I run it along her upper row of teeth. She grunts a sound of resistance that is lost on me.

Oh, shit. Shit with a capital 'S.' Her incisors are definitely longer which can only mean one thing. I pick the phone up and report to Aerith with a sigh, "Yeah, they're longer."

She hisses a curse under her breath, "Damn it…" She sighs and asks, "Did anything happen that might've spread your powers to her?"

"Eh…" I scratch the back of my head. How the heck do you tell your old-fashioned teacher you had sex with a mortal without being companionated? I ran my hand through my hair and the smell of blood came back into my senses, stronger than before. I follow it and turn to my shoulder where Tifa had bitten me during her orgasm. I turn back to my conversation with Aerith. "She ingested my blood."

"And how, may I ask, did that happen?"

I fumble for an excuse. There was no way she'd accept the truth. "I cut myself… Before I could stop her, she went to suck on the wound the way mortals do…"

"Mm… I'll report this to the council immediately and then I'll be there to fit her for her own rosario."

"Thanks, Aerith."

She sighs. "Anytime, Iurgium."

I snap my phone closed and grab my pants off the floor. I start dressing, knowing Aerith won't take long. I grab my undershirt and my shirt and jacket and pull those on, too. I turn and look at Tifa, mentally slapping my forehead. I can't put her skirt back on… That would just be stupid. Uh… Let's see… I snap my fingers a few times. I know! I open my dresser and pull a pair of sweatpants out. I grab hold of the blanket on top of Tifa and whip it down. I can't help but stare at her. God, she's so perfect. I shake my head. No time for staring at my formerly virginal master. I take her feet and struggle to get the dead weight into the sweats. After a minute, her feet go inside and it's just one more tug before the pants are all the way up.

Now comes the hard part. She's stuck in that pillow nice and good. If I didn't know better, I would've thought it was a part of her. I set a palm against her shoulder and brace myself for hell. I push, flipping her onto her back.

Ow… What the fuck?! She has one _hell_ of a scream…! For all things holy! Having the hearing of a vampire is not helping right now. I force myself to ignore her cries of pain—Not an easy task when you freakin' had sex with her last night—and button her shirt.

Seconds after I finish the last button, a warped noise comes from the living room and Aerith's voice calls out, "Anybody home?"

I lean closer to the door while discretely kicking Tifa's skirt, jacket, and underwear into my closet. "In here!"

Aerith bounces in with Zack at her heels and a smile on her face. "How gentlemanly of you… Giving her your bed…"

I scratch the back of my head. "Uh, Tifa?"

"Oh, right." She takes two steps into the room and pauses. Times when it sucks to have been raised by a witch, literally and figuratively. She turns slowly and painfully towards me. "You two fucked, didn't you? You sneaky little bastards fucked!"

Somehow, it's worse when she says it. My voice chose the perfect time to fail me. "I- We…"

"Save it, Iurgium. You knew full well what possible consequences could come of this… I'll assume you didn't tell her, either?"

Finally! My mouth decides to work. Unfortunately, it's my ever-positive (note the sarcasm) side that comes out. "Aerith… That's not important right now… Can we focus on Tifa?"

"Fine." She drops to her knees beside the bed in a huff. "Only because she didn't know what she was getting into."

"Look, it wasn't really the first thing on my mind."

She raises a hand. Uh-oh. That means a spell's coming. "_Tace!_"

Immediately, my voice leaves as her silence spell takes effect. Had to be my sarcastic side that came out, didn't it? Nothing I can do but wait for her to release it. That's the thing I hate about witches. They're the only ones who can release their own spells. Well, wizards can, too, but the day one of them releases a witch's spell on a demon is the day the world is screwed.

I give a sigh and drop down on the bed next to Tifa's feet while Aerith did whatever it is she does. She sighs and shakes her head, holding a hand out towards Zack. He walks over with a velvet case and sets it on her open palm. I raise an eyebrow, watching her in silence. Not that I had much choice, but…

Aerith cracks the case open and lifts a generic rosario from the inside. I guess she can't get a specialty one until we know her exact limitations. Slowly, Aerith slips it around Tifa's neck and fastens the buckle. I still remember the first time I got a rosario… I hated it. It felt like it was choking me, cutting off my only avenue of expressing myself. Granted, Tifa's only been a vampire for a few hours, tops. I was for years before I got a rosario.

Aerith holds a hand over Tifa and whispers, "_Remittere._" A relaxation spell. She turns to me and, in a much more harsh tone, snaps, "_Dicere!_"

My voice comes back at her command. It's like breathing after being trapped underwater for ten minutes. "Aerith…"

"She will be alright, though she'll have to accompany us back to Orcus to get her a teacher… Since you cannot be enslaved to another demon, we'll have to get you a new _custos_, too."

I look down at Tifa. "I understand. Just… Can I have one request?"

"I don't think you're in the position to, but go ahead."

"Please don't take her away from me…" I pull Tifa's foot onto my lap and run my thumbs over her soft flesh. Something I haven't known in years comes back to me as I look at her perfect features. I never felt it on this level, though… Before I can stop myself, my mouth confirms my thoughts. "I love her."

She dropped her forehead to her palm. "After last night, the two of you are almost companions…"

My gaze stays on Tifa's foot. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me." She gestures to Tifa as she stands. "She's the one who's going to have to abandon the life she knew."

"I meant, I'm sorry for being such a terrible student… For being a terrible son."

She sighs, walking over and pausing in front of me, leaning over slightly to cup my cheek. "It's not your fault, Cloud." I look up at her in shock. She just said my true name, didn't she? She never calls me Cloud… This is, like, a rarity for her. "You've helped me more than you can imagine."

I shake my head, clearing my thoughts. "And you me."

"It's what mothers do, even if we aren't of the same blood."

"That's all the more reason for me to be ashamed… You took me in after my blood mother was killed and I can't even repay you properly."

A soft moan comes from the bed as Tifa pushes herself to a sitting position, rubbing one hand at her eyes. "What happened…?"

I slide down the bed to sit beside her and take her hand in mine. "Tifa… I…" I look up as Aerith motions to Zack to leave and pulls the door shut behind her as they walk out. I focus my attention on Tifa once more, slowly rubbing circles on her knuckles. "I made a mistake… One that you could hate me for…"

"Cloud…" She reaches her free hand out to stroke my pale-complexioned face. "I could never hate you."

"Tifa… Because of my carelessness last night, you… you're a vampire now… You swallowed some of my blood…"

I don't think she fully understood my words. She leans closer and places a chaste kiss on my lips. Damn. I don't think I'll ever get used to that. "I have no regrets… Whatever happens from here on out, we'll face it together. We are still bound, right?"

I can feel a small smile creep onto my face. "Yeah. I forgot about that…" I look up to meet her gaze. "Tifa…"

Aerith leans back in the doorway. "The council has word on you two… We're going to go find out what's going on. You two stay here."

Tifa gives her a mocking salute accompanied by a bright smile. "Yes, Ma'am!"

I nod my agreement and Aerith leaves, the sound of the gate to Orcus sounding moments later. I turn back to Tifa and scratch my head, suddenly feeling unsure. "So… What now? We have to stay here, so…"

She giggles. "Do you even need to _ask_?"

A devilish grin pulls at my lips. "Damn." I twist around to straddle her, leaning in to kiss her while working the buttons of her shirt. Oh, God… I love the feeling I get when I'm with her… I have no idea how long I'd be able to last without the feeling of her lips on me… anywhere on me. I pull back for a moment and mumble against her lips, "You know… It probably won't take them long with the council…"

"Then why are we still talking?"

A smirk is my only reply.

* * *

Please review!

-Valk


	7. Chapter 1: Rest for This Night

Here's the new stuff. Right now, I'm planning for this story to last a good twenty-plus chapters. Excluding the prologues, of course.

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Chapter 1  
**_**Rest for This Night**_

A foreign sound echoed through Tifa's mind, instinctively forcing her to arch her back and throw the man above her off. He hit the floor with a thud and a grunt, making her laugh while fixing the buttons of her shirt.

Cloud stood, shaking his head and blinking. "Geez, Tifa. Was that necessary?"

She giggled more as the bedroom door opened and Aerith walked in, followed closely by Zack and another man she'd never seen before. Her senses went berserk, making her wonder why this new man smelled so much like death. Aerith grinned and greeted, "Good morning, again."

Cloud sighed, shirtless, and wove his fingers together behind his head. "Aerith? What's the necromancer for?"

She beamed. "Good question, Iurgium!"

Silence.

"…And?"

"And… Since Seracor needs to move to Orcus to begin training, we need to find a way to make her disappear from human life."

"Wait…" Tifa stumbled off the bed and stood beside Cloud. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Aerith touched a finger to her chin. "And what do you think I'm saying?"

"Do I… have to… give up on all my human friends? And… my family?"

"Yes. It is inevitable. You will cease aging and your mortal friends will not."

"But I was allowed to be a mortal and know about mo- er, demons!"

"That's because Iurgium here-" she shot him a glare, "-went off the deep end and revealed his nature, thus becoming enslaved to you."

"But what if-"

"No. By biting your friends to become enslaved to them is pure folly. Better to fade from their lives then to bring them into this one." She reached out and whacked Cloud on the back of the head. "He was irresponsible and knew he shouldn't have gotten mortals involved."

He rubbed his head. "Geez…"

Tifa looked around, slowly moving to wrap her arms around Cloud's waist. His left arm came down to hold her snug against him while she buried her face in his shoulder for a moment before looking back up to address Aerith. "So… That's that, then? I just have to go and there's no question about it?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"I see. So… what's going to happen now?"

Aerith gestured to the man behind her. "Tuesti will create a homunculus to appear in your image, which will be found by the mortals and identified as your corpse. The mortals will believe you've died and you will have no other obligations holding you to Gaia."

Tifa buried her face in Cloud's bare chest again. "I don't want to leave my friends…!"

Cloud tightened his hold even more and pressed a kiss to the top of her hair. "Tifa…"

Aerith watched the young couple and remained silent for a brief moment. She turned to glance apologetically to the necromancer; who just smiled softly with understanding. "Don't worry, Aerith. I've nowhere to be."

She raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have a student to care for?"

He shook his head with a gentle smile. "No, Reno has graduated as a dragon. He no longer needs my instruction."

Her eyes widened. "Honestly? You nominated _him_ for graduation? He's almost as unstable as Iurgium!"

The necromancer chuckled softly and glanced to Cloud for his reaction. When the blond didn't stir, he turned back to the witch. "Reno has achieved all the necessary requirements. He passed the exam from Tseng. There's nothing else to say."

Aerith sighed and shook her head. "Iurgium still has a long way to go. He's as impulsive and irresponsible as they come."

"I suppose that's what happens when he only has half of his-"

Zack cleared his throat. "'Scuse me, Reeve, but shouldn't you be preparing?"

He nodded. "Yes, I suppose." He turned to the young brunette. "Tifa, I'll need your measurements if I'm going to create an accurate homunculus… Could you remove your clothing so I can get exact dimensions?"

Her face paled and Cloud's arm pulled her closer to him. He glared at the necromancer and snarled, "I won't let you to treat her so brusquely. She can go in the bathroom and get what measurements you need on her own."

Reeve chuckled softly. "Of course. My apologies."

Tifa blushed and turned to Cloud. "Um… Could you… Maybe… Help me?"

Cloud felt the heat rise in his cheeks before raising his right hand to scratch the back of his head. "Uh, Tifa… That's not…"

Aerith sighed heavily. "I'll help you, Seracor."

The younger girl smiled and reached up to fiddle with the cross now on her neck. "Thank you, Aerith. I…"

"Don't worry, Seracor. It's my duty as a council member to make sure all fledgling demons are taken care of."

"Still, thank you." Slowly, she pulled herself away from Cloud's embrace and followed Aerith as she turned for the bathroom. She walked in and stood by the shower as the witch closed and latched the door behind them.

Aerith turned to face her. "I won't lie, Seracor. This is going to be a harsh and difficult transition for you. I will do what I can to assure you get with a compassionate teacher."

Tifa pulled at the buttons to her shirt, shrugging it off and hanging it on the hook on the wall. She slid Cloud's sweat pants down to her ankles, forgetting for a moment that she didn't have any underwear on, and set those to the side as well. After taking off her bra, she turned to face the other woman. "Aerith, I have no idea what he needs, so…"

The brunette set her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Tifa. Let me make this clear for you. Among demons, sex without companionship makes you a whore. No questions asked."

She froze. "I-I see… I…"

"Succubuses are whores in nature, so they are unaffected by whatever talk may circulate."

"Aerith, I…"

"I'm not going to blame you. I understand that mortals engage in this sort of activity when free of wedlock often. You were acting under such mental processes. Iurgium, on the other hand, knew full well what this means to demons and still he chose to act. He will be punished."

"I- Aerith… Don't. Please. I started it… As his master, I asked him to…"

"'Asked.' Meaning he could've refused." She sighed and held her hands up. A second later, an odd-looking tool appeared above her palm. "This won't hurt at all. He just needs height, weight, waist, hips, bust, inseam, arm length, each finger, hair, neck, shoe size, cup size, and shoulders. There are a few other things, but mostly it's the facial features. You can sit beside him as he crafts those."

She blinked. "Um, okay…"

She held the odd sort of T-shaped tool closer. "Just hold still."

_**Cloud**_

Zack sighs. "I'm gonna go get some food. I hope you guys didn't clean the fridge out while we were gone. Did you?"

I drop down onto my bed with a sigh. "You were gone eleven hours, Zack."

He shrugs and leaves my room, calling over his shoulder, "Don't mess with me, kid. My claws are much sharper than my wits."

The necromancer--Damn, he smells like death--looks over at me with a smile. "I remember being young and in love."

This comment has me rising to a sitting position. I point a finger accusingly. "Don't just walk in here and pretend you know everything about me. You specialize with the dead, not the living."

One of his eyebrows rises. "You speak so bluntly to a council member?"

"It's the truth, isn't it?"

"It may be, but it is not your place to voice such things."

I shrug. "I don't have a master to punish me. What can happen?"

He shakes his head, a gentle smile back on his face. What is it with this guy? He's so fucking happy all the time! He walks over and pulls out my desk chair to help himself to a seat. "So, tell me about this girl."

I keep my stare level. Aerith told me once that I have a master poker face. I don't know what the hell that means, exactly, but it doesn't really matter. "Why?"

"You care about her, don't you?"

"What's it matter to you?"

He shrugs slightly. "If you two become companionated, I'll be required to attend the second stage. It would be nice to know who is there."

"That's acting under the assumption that you're still the council representative of necromancers."

"That is true. But considering that you ignored some of our strictest rules and slept with the mortal girl anyway, I really don't think you have the right to speak to me in such a way. Unless you would like me to speak to the vampire council member and notify him of your disobedience?"

I shrug. "Lord Rufus knows by now not to bother with me. My actions are excluded from the general judgment of vampires."

"Perhaps if you acted accordingly, demons wouldn't treat you so differently?"

"Hn, maybe."

"And?"

I stand, slowly making my way over to him. "And what? Do as the rest of society does and blend in, forgetting all that makes me who I am?"

He touches a hand to his chin, slowly stroking his beard. "I see. Independence has long been a trait of vampires, but never has it been so strong."

I drop down onto my bed again, running my fingers idly along my rosario. "There's a first time for everything."

He laughs. "I suppose there is."

Zack walks back in with a sandwich and grins before taking a bite. I roll my eyes and fall back on the bed only to jump up as the bathroom opens. Tifa walks in, biting her lip from shyness, and Aerith hands a _postulo candela_ to the necromancer. He examined it before nodding. "Thank you, Aerith. This is exactly what I need. All of my materials are back in the other realm, so I will create it there."

Aerith nodded. "Understood. Contact us when you need Seracor to sculpt her facial features."

"Of course. I will take my leave of you, then."

I ignore him and walk over to Tifa. She looks shy and frightened. Her scent is much more like my own now, so I can't smell her emotions quite as well. My protective male senses kick in and I walk up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist to pull her against me. I rest my chin on her shoulder and whisper in a voice so low that even she wouldn't have heard me without her newly acquired vampiric hearing. "Tifa… Are you alright?"

She nods once and sinks into me. "I… Yes, Cloud. I'm fine. I just…"

One of my hands comes up to brush through her hair. "Don't worry. You'll like Orcus. At least, the vampire side of you will."

She looks up at me. "You think so?"

"I know so. Even if you were originally a mortal, you can't be happy here forever. You'll find you need Orcus. It's… home."

She faces forward again and sighs. "Cloud?"

"Hn?"

"What will happen to you?"

Suddenly, I feel very confused. What the heck is she talking about? "What d'you mean?"

"Aerith said… She said that since we… um… What happened last night… She said demons don't do that."

I bring my head up to rest my chin on her hair. "Don't misunderstand… We _do_ have sex, just it's considered disgraceful to do so before companionated."

"And you said companions are like a married couple?"

I nod against her hair and turn her around to face me. "You weren't a demon at the start of the night; you can't be punished. I willingly participated last night. I will accept whatever happens." I lean down to kiss her and whisper against her lips, "It was totally worth it."

She blushes. "C-Cloud! You…!"

I can't help but smirk. "What? It was one of the best experiences I've ever had."

Her face disappears from my sight as she burrows into my shoulder. "Cloud…"

I wrap my arms around her middle and pull her close, warmth I never knew before filling my chest. I kiss her hair softly before turning to settle my cheek on her luscious brown tresses. "Tifa… Promise me you won't leave me."

She pulls back as much as she can to look at me. Instead of the embarrassment that had been there, her face shows a serious, albeit confused, expression. "Cloud…?"

"Promise me."

"Is something going to happen? Is there a reason you need me to?"

"Tifa… I… Not that I know of… We're both vampires, so we'll live in the same district… We should be able to see each other as often as we want."

"Good." Her arms tighten around my shoulders again. "I promise, Cloud."

"Good. I… I've never felt like this before…"

"Neither have I… I mean, I know I'm just a young little mortal, but…"

Alright. I'm confused. I thought she looked about the same age as me… Am I wrong about mortals? "Young? How old are you?"

"I'll be turning seventeen in May."

I give a chuckle and pull her closer to me, kissing her jaw softly. God, kissing… Now that I've started, there's just no stopping me. It feels way too damn good. "You know what…?"

She giggles softly under my bombardment of kisses. "What?"

"Any guesses as to how old I am?"

"Well… Demons are probably older than they look by mortal standards, right?"

"Once we reach a certain age, yeah, we stop aging physically."

"Alright… You're… a hundred?"

I wish. "Nope."

"Well, you're still pretty young if you're in training, right?"

My lips find her neck. "Yeah."

"Okay, so… What qualifies as young?"

And trace down to the junction between her neck and shoulder. "Anything under seventy or so."

"Hm… forty?"

And then slip down to her collarbone. "Nope."

"Fifty?"

"Guess again."

"Sixty?"

"Nope."

"Seventy?"

"Keep trying."

"Just tell me, Cloud."

"You really want me to?"

"Yes, Cloud. Seventy is too vast to guess one number from."

"Hm. And here I thought it would be one of your first guesses."

"Cloud!"

"Last August, I turned…"

"Clouuud…"

"Seventeen."

She stops, staring and blinking. "Seriously?"

I nuzzle my nose in her hair. "Mm-hm…"

"I… I had no idea… I thought you were older than that…"

"Nope. I'm just a young brat."

She giggles at that and steals the opportunity to press her lips to mine. I'm only too happy to oblige her. A devilish thought sneaks into my brain and I smirk against her mouth. She had so much fun playing with my fangs… Why not return the favor? She probably doesn't even realize what she's in for when she parts her lips for my tongue. I start out slow by gently running my tongue over her lower row of teeth. That doesn't really do much. Why would it? Then I move to the upper row.

Her response is more than I could've hoped for. Her whole body shakes in harsh shivers and her knees buckle out beneath her. Luckily, my arms are still tight around her, holding her up. She pulls back, her eyes wide in shock. My tongue is still hanging out and I'm grinning like a dork.

Her eyes narrow. "Cloud! I…! You…!"

I grin wider and lean my face right next to hers, touching our noses together. "What? If you can't take the heat, then don't deal it."

She shoves playfully at my shoulder. "You…!"

I smirk, pretending she didn't hurt me, and pull her out of my room by the wrist. "Come on. Let's go have one last fling in the mortal realm before we go home."

She reaches out, grabbing on to anything she can to stop us from going. "But… But… We can't just leave…!"

I pause and look at her. "Why not?"

It's her turn to pause. "Aren't we in trouble?"

I raise an eyebrow. "So?"

"So… Shouldn't we sit here and wait for our punishment?"

"_Why?_"

"Um… So we don't get into more trouble?"

My smirk comes back. "But where's the fun in that?"

* * *

So, what'd you think of the new stuff? Review and let me know, please!

-Valk


	8. Chapter 2: The Zodiac Turns Over Me

Oops, I forgot. Another note for those of you who haven't read 'Words'... Aerith's language and nicknames for everyone are derived from Latin. _Iurgium_ literally translates as 'Strife,' _Nundinae_ as 'Fair,' and Seracor is a direct (and incorrect) translation of 'Lockheart'; _Sera_ meaning 'Lock' and _Cor_ meaning 'Heart.' Everything else that shows up in italics and looks funny is probably Latin as well.

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Chapter 2  
**_**The Zodiac Turns Over Me**_

_**Tifa**_

Tifa stumbled down the sidewalk after Cloud as he went in random directions. He looked back over his shoulder to her with a grin. "Almost there!"

She looked up at him. "And where is that?"

He grinned wider. "The same place I said eight times over the last twenty minutes. It's a surprise!"

"Cloud… I'm starting to hate you."

He finally stopped in front of a set of double doors leading to a tall building. Tifa took one look at it and stuttered, "Oh, no, Cloud. I am _not_ going inside my home in Aerith's clothes after--" her voice drops to a hiss, "--sleeping with you and did I not mention I still _don't have any underwear on?"_

His eyebrows rose straight up. "No, you didn't mention that, but now I'm getting some nice visuals…"

She glared and raised her hand to slap him across the face as hard as she could. "Cloud! If you say _anything_ like that in front of my parents, I will kill you."

He grinned, rubbing the sore spot on his face. "Don't worry. I'll keep my pants on."

"Cloud…"

"Come on. Let's go up. This is the last time you'll be able to see them."

She looked down to her shoes. "I know… It's… going to be hard."

"Don't worry. I'll be with you all the way."

"Thanks, Cloud."

_**Cloud**_

I walk beside her as she reluctantly heads to her home. She pulls her key out of her bag and opens the door before stepping inside. I follow and take a look around her apartment. Exactly as before, but, for some reason, it feels different now. Tifa smiles at her parents and sets her bag on the floor. "Hi, Dad. Hi, Mom."

I swear her mother raises an eyebrow in my direction before turning back to Tifa. "I thought you were at Aerith's house?"

"I was. It was all girls, Mom. Cloud and Aerith's boyfriend came by her place about an hour ago and Cloud insisted on walking me home."

"I see. Alright, sweetie. Lunch is in ten. We'll set an extra place for Cloud."

Damn, could her parents _be_ more gullible…? I wonder if all mortals are like that? I scratch the back of my head. "Um, thanks."

Tifa smiles brightly. "I'm going to get changed. I wore this uniform yesterday and this is Aerith's sweatshirt. She insisted that I take it since it's so cold out today."

Her father nods once. "Alright."

I sit down in the armchair to twiddle my thumbs while alone with her parents. You know, I never got the term 'twiddle your thumbs'… It doesn't really make any sense. I mean, why would you twiddle your thumbs? Why can't your thumbs 'fidget'? Or 'fiddle'? Why 'twiddle'? It sounds so… mundane.

I finally realize that her father is staring at me. Apparently, he's been talking. I scratch the back of my head again. "Um, sorry… What did you say?"

He sighs. "I asked how long you've lived in Midgar. You said you're an exchange student, right?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. I came here with my friends, Aerith and her com- boyfriend, Zack, at the start of the semester."

"Why transfer halfway through the year?"

"I… got into a bad spot at my old school. My teacher was getting to the point of death threats." Not a complete lie. Aerith has been prone to go off the deep end before.

"I see… That's… distressing. Where are you from?"

"Corel."

"People still live there?"

"I was born there. I moved when… When the disaster happened."

"I see. Where did you live before coming to Midgar?"

Oh, crap. Mortal towns, mortal towns… "…Icicle Inn." First one that came to mind. Aerith mentioned it once.

"Oh, so you must be used to the cold, eh?"

"Uh, yeah."

"I see."

Tifa walks back in then dressed in a pair of nicely-fitting jeans—Those visuals are coming back—and a baggy sweatshirt to hide her rosario. God, she's sexy. Just walking towards me. Oh, what's this? She walks up behind me and leans over the back of the chair and presses her mouth to mine. Oh, hell to the _yeah!_

Oh, fuck. Her parents are right there, aren't they? Shit. I lean back from Tifa and she starts to come with me, almost falling into my lap before she gets it. She jumps back, heat burning her face red. Wiping a hand over her mouth, she bites at her lip before wincing, probably forgetting she has fangs. Again. "Um, Mom, Dad… I-I can explain…"

Her mother raises an eyebrow inquisitively. "How long has this been going on?"

"Uh, since yesterday…"

"Is that so?"

"Y-Yeah…"

Her father points a finger at me and glares. "You make her cry and I'll beat you to hell and back."

I almost burst out laughing at the extent of his threat before realizing that he doesn't know I'm from hell or that this is the last time he'll see either me or Tifa. Instead, I nod like a good boy to show my understanding.

Tifa still stands behind me as she stares at her father. "You mean you don't mind?"

Her mother smiles openly. That's where Tifa gets her smile from. "Of course. You're almost seventeen now and Cloud has proven himself to be a good kid on multiple occasions. Are you sure you're okay with this, though?"

"Yes, Mom. I don't… I don't want to think about that ever again."

Think about what? Oh… Right. The start of all this. That goddamn mortal who tasted pretty awesome. "Don't worry, Mr. and Mrs. Lockhart. I'll make sure nothing like that ever happens again."

With that said, Tifa wiggles down into the armchair next to me and snuggles up against me. Nice. A guy could get used to this. Fully aware of her parents' eyes on us, I slowly bring my arm up to settle on her shoulders. Because her parents' eyes are on us, I tighten my hold on her upper arm as opposed to something more suggestive.

After a minute, Tifa's mother stands and walks towards the kitchen while calling over her shoulder, "Come on, Tifa. Can you help me with lunch?"

She jumps up. Damn it. "Oh, sure, Mom! I'm coming!" She bends over and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. Ah, well. I'll take it.

I lean back into the chair as the women disappear into the kitchen. Tifa's father gives me a look that screams: _You are in for the interrogation of a lifetime._

Shit.

_**Tifa**_

Tifa stood at the kitchen counter, using two wooden forks to toss the salad. She picked up a handful of vegetables she and her mother had cut and spread them over the leafy greens before picking up a bottle of peanut sauce. Popping it open, she poured a little into the bowl before picking up her forks again. She looked over her shoulder at her mother, who stood flipping hamburgers at the stove, and spoke, "Hey, Mom? What do you think of Cloud?"

Her mother slapped the spatula down on a burger to squeeze out some of the grease. "I'll always be grateful to him for helping you last Monday."

"That's not what I asked, Mom."

She stayed silent for a minute. "…I have to ask, sweetie. What's up with that gaudy thing on his neck?"

Her hand automatically strayed up to where her own rosario lay beneath her sweatshirt. "He's… really religious. It's a part of who he is."

"Hm. He doesn't strike me as a religious type."

"His religion isn't a very popular one. I hadn't heard of it until I'd met him."

"What is it?"

"I forget the name… I should know it, but it's just one word and it's long and tongue-twisting. I didn't forget because I'm a lousy girlfriend."

Her mother laughed. "I know you're not. I'm just curious."

"Well, I think the salad is about done. I'm going to go let Dad and Cloud know it's almost time to eat."

"Alright."

Tifa walked over to the dining section and set the salad bowl down on the table before leaning into the living room. "Hey, Dad, Cloud, it's just about time to eat!"

Cloud stood from his seat. "Alright." As he walked past Tifa, he whispered in her ear, "Thank you."

Barely audible, knowing Cloud would be able hear, she asked him, "Why?"

"Your father was just getting to questions pertaining to whether or not I'd ever had sex before."

Completely unfazed that her father would ask something like that, she replied, "Ah. And what did you tell him?"

"I told him once, but that my religion forbids it before marriage so I would never do it out of wedlock again."

"How did he take it?"

He shot her a look. "Do you honestly think I told your father I'd had sex?"

"What do you mean?"

"I lied like there was no tomorrow and told him 'no.'"

"Cloud!"

"What?"

"…Thank you."

"Huh?"

"My parents would never let me see you again if they knew you—or we—slept together."

"Yeah, I know."

"Lunch?"

"Yeah."

They walked into the dining area and sat down on the same side of the six-seat table while her parents sat at opposite ends. Tifa picked up her fork, speared one of the hamburgers, and set it on her bun before turning to smile at Cloud. He followed suit and whispered under his breath for Tifa's ears, "Remember, you have fangs now. Don't let your parents see 'em."

"I know. But thanks for reminding me."

"Of course."

Tifa's mother looked at Cloud. "So, Tifa tells me you're really religious. What's the name of your religion?"

Without skipping a beat, Cloud replied, "_Fidelis_. In our clan language, it means 'Faithful.'"

"I can't say I've heard of it before. What sort of practices do you have?"

Cloud pulled at his leather collar awkwardly and Tifa picked up the salad bowl to hold it towards him. "Try some? I made it myself."

"Uh, thanks, Tifa." He started helping himself to some and slowly poked his fork into it. He took a bite. "Hm, not bad."

"As I was saying," her mother went right back to the previous subject, "What sort of things do you do? Holidays? Rituals? Worship?"

When he said nothing, Tifa looked over at Cloud to give him a good scolding. Instead, she gasped at the sight of him clutching at his throat and looking about ready to pass out. Tifa stood from her seat, awkwardly rubbing his back. "Cloud? Cloud, are you okay?"

Her mother stood as well and her father whipped out his cell phone. "I'm calling 9-1-1."

……

Tifa stood in the waiting room of the emergency room, pacing back and forth. Her mother sat nearby, trying to calm her down as a nurse approached. "Excuse me, Mrs. Lockhart?"

Her mother looked up. "Yes? Do you have any news?"

"I'm afraid we can't give any information without the approval of family."

Tifa turned to the nurse. "But I'm his girlfriend! Can't you tell me?"

The nurse shook her head. "I'm sorry, miss. Are there any relatives you can call?"

"His parents are out-of-town…" _Aerith!_ "His sister is here, though. I can call her."

"Please do."

"Alright." The nurse walked away as Tifa pulled out her cell phone and dialed Aerith's number. She tapped her foot impatiently while waiting for her to pick up.

Aerith's voice sounded from the other end, "Yes? Who is this?"

Tifa bit her lip, wincing again because of her fangs. "Um, hi, Aerith. It's me, Tifa."

"What is it? Where are you?"

"I'm… at the emergency room. Something happened to Cloud. I-I don't know what happened, Aerith."

Aerith mumbled, almost inaudible, "Shit." She raised her voice to address Tifa again. "We'll be there in a minute. Sit tight."

"I told the nurse I was calling his sister, so…"

"Alright. I'll play the part. Did you give a name?"

"No…"

"Then don't. I'll think of one."

"Okay."

Tifa snapped her phone closed and waited nervously for her friend to arrive. Not even five minutes after she hung up, the door opened and Aerith walked in with Zack at her heels. She looked through the room briefly before spying Tifa pacing in front of her mother. She walked over and tapped the distressed girl on the shoulder. "Tifa?"

She turned sharply, shocked to find them there so quickly. "You made it!"

"Yes. I'm going to let the nurse know I'm here. Sit tight. I'll let you know if they have news."

"Thank you." Tifa watched the two of them walk to the nurse's station and start talking to the nurse on-duty. Despite the fact that she had super-hearing now, she still couldn't identify Aerith's conversation from every other in the bustling room. She finally fell down in the chair beside her mother, holding her head from the increasing-by-the-minute headache.

She looked up as Aerith walked over and paused beside her. "Come on, Tifa. She said we can go see him."

The girl pointed to herself stupidly. "Me, too?"

Aerith sighed. "You're the one he's going to want to see. Otherwise, it's his sister or her husband."

"Oh… Okay. Thanks."

"Of course. Come."

Tifa looked to her mother who just shooed her away before turning to follow Aerith and Zack who were, in turn, following a nurse towards Cloud's room. The nurse opened the door and let the other three go in first.

Taking a quick glace around the room, Tifa let out a gasp when her eyes fell on Cloud. He lay in the bed, paler than usual, with an oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth and piles of ice blankets on top of him.

The nurse looked around briefly and excused herself after saying that the doctor would be coming to let them know his status. Various monitors showed what Tifa could only guess was an erratic heartbeat and a sky-high body temperature.

Aerith walked over to him, watching him with concern in her gaze. She knelt down beside his bed and sighed. "What have they done to you?" She ran a hand over his hair and, with a whisper of _"Impedire!"_ the machine slowed to a regular heart rate. She threw the blankets off of him and called another spell forth to change the monitor from a one-hundred and thirty-seven degree temperature to ninety-eight-point-three degrees.

She turned to Tifa before touching the mask. "What happened?"

Tifa felt tears prick at her eyes. "I-I don't know! One minute, we were eating lunch with my parents, and the next he's falling to the floor, choking. I was so, so scared. Aerith, what… what happened?"

Aerith touched a palm to her forehead. "Oh, no… Did he eat peanuts?"

The younger girl blinked. "What?"

"Cloud is allergic to peanuts. Did he eat any?"

"There… There was peanut sauce in the salad…"

"And did he eat it?"

"Y-yeah… It's my fault… I made him. I made the salad and I wanted him to like it, so I asked him to eat it. He… I didn't know he…"

"It's alright, Seracor. You've done nothing wrong."

"But-!"

"Do you remember when Cloud first drank your blood and I told you he was almost to the point of deserving a stake-through-the-heart?"

"Yeah…"

"Vampires cannot die except for having their hearts pierced. It doesn't matter what does the piercing… Gunshot, stake, sword, et cetera. They--you--can't die from blood loss, illness, or anything else. Sure, you can still feel pain, but…"

"So… Cloud will be okay?"

"Yes. Allergies are rare among demons, but Iurgium is one of the lucky ones, I suppose." She turned back to examine him further. "I can cleanse his body of the allergic reactions, but the drugs they pumped into him are going to have to fade on their own."

"Why?"

"The last time I attempted a cleansing spell for medications it… had an adverse reaction. The poor demon… All bacteria was cleared out of their body, but with that went all forms of bodily immunities. You know it as the immune system. Without it, the demon caught cold and died."

"From a cold…?"

"Yes. Now, we wait."

* * *

Sigh. I wanted to add another section onto the end of this chapter, but it looks like it'll have to wait until the start of the next chapter.

Merry Christmas! You could make this a great Christmas for me by giving me the gift of a review... :P

-Valk


	9. Chapter 3: Tears of Snow White Sorrow

I wanted to have Cloud's first section of this chapter in the last one, but I wanted to get it posted before the holidays got too deep.

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Chapter 3  
**_**The Tears of Snow-White Sorrow**_

_**Cloud**_

What the fuck?!

Why's it so fucking bright?! Damn it! Someone… gouge my eyes out! Or something! Gah! In every effort to get rid of the goddamn lights, I roll into a ball like a baby and hold my hands over my eyes. Make it go away…! Please! Just… make the torture end! How in the fucking hell can it be this bright? Wait… am I dead? Did I come back to life as a god? No… Oh, yeah… Those arms around my shoulders are perfect… Stay right there… Please?

A beautiful voice sounds from somewhere above me, though it sounds like it's a million miles away, "Aerith? I think the lights might be too bright…"

Another voice sounds, "Oh! Nundinae, can you get that, please?"

A third one sounds, though it's not as pleasant as the other two, "Alright."

A second passes and, suddenly, the light fades. Ah, beautiful darkness… I love you so much!

The first voice sounds again, "Cloud? Are you okay?"

Huh? Cloud? What's she talking about puffy white things for? Oh, wait… That's me, isn't it? Cloud's my name. Slowly, testing to see if it might still be bright out, I crack one eye open. It's a little bright, but not unbearable like before. The slender arms around me slowly retreat and, in an effort to get them to stay, I reach out aimlessly. "No… Come back…"

I roll over to find the arms and meet with the face of a beautiful woman… No… Beautiful doesn't even do her justice. I have to tell her that. It's really important that she knows that she's prettier than beautiful. "You're so much more beautiful than beautiful… Did I ever tell you that…?"

She smiles and a one of her beautiful hands moves closer to touch my cheek. "No, Cloud. You never told me that. Do you really think so?"

"A'course I do! I wouldn't o' said it if I didn't…"

The other pleasant voice from earlier spoke, "Remember, Seracor, he's heavily dosed on medications. Don't take anything he says too personally or seriously."

She nods. "I know, Aerith. Hey, Cloud…" Her hand shifts through my hair. Mm. "How are you feeling?"

"Tifa… Teeefaaa… I love you, Tifaaa…"

Huh? Why is her face turning red? She was so cute and pale a minute ago… Hehe… Red… It's such a funny word… Red… Red… Red, red, red… Reeed… Hehe. Oh! What else is red…? Tomatoes are red. So is blood. Oh! And strawberry Jell-O! "Tifa? I want Jell-O…"

Her eyes darken a little as she cocks her head towards me. Her hair falls over her pretty shoulders and I can't help but reach out and play with the loose ends. My more-than-beautiful angel smiles slightly at me. "Cloud? Do you think you can walk? Aerith wants to get you home. She already cast a spell on the doctors and nurses so they wouldn't remember seeing you or your fangs."

"Teeefaaa… Of course I can walk! I can do a lot of things."

She shifts away a little and stands from the edge of the bed. Oh, look at that! I'm on a bed! Isn't that awesome! I wonder if it's one of those ones that can sit up…? That would be so cool! Oh, yeah! It has wheels! Score! "…Teefie…?"

She holds her hands out to help me stand. "Yes, Cloud?"

I point down at the wheels. "Can you push me down the hall?"

She smiles. "Maybe later, Cloud. Let's get you home first."

"Okay, Tifa. Will you push me down the hall there?"

"Sure, Cloud. I'll get you some Jell-O, too."

"I don't want Jell-O… Teeefaaa…"

"Yes, Cloud?"

"I love you…"

She blushes again and bites at her lip. "U-um… That's… That's nice, Cloud. Thank you."

"Will you marry me?"

_**Tifa**_

"Will you marry me?"

She felt a red-hot blush burn at her face. "Cloud! I…! I'm touched you feel that way, b-but…" She heard Aerith's and Zack's snickers behind her but chose to ignore them. "Can I have some time to think about it? I mean, we've really only known each other a week… And we've only been dating since yesterday. I'll think about it, okay?"

Cloud smiled up at her. "You're one beautiful lady… Can I bite you?"

"Um, no, Cloud. I don't think so."

"Can I have an umbrella?"

She could only guess as to what was going through his drugged-out mind now. She just laughed as a buffer to avoid answering his question. "Come on, Cloud. Let's get you back home, okay?"

"M'kay…" He bent at the waist, moving to a sitting position before slowly laying back down. He sat up again, laid down, sat up, and laid down before suddenly flipping up from his back and off the bed to land on his feet. He stumbled a little and, as if by reflex, Tifa and Zack and rushed over to help him stay up. Aerith watched from the window with a knowing smile.

Tifa bent down to wrap one of Cloud's arms over her shoulder as Zack took the other. They kept him up between them and he hung there uselessly, blank eyes scanning the room before stopping on Tifa; or, rather, the gap left open by the top three buttons of her sweatshirt. She jostled her shoulders, trying to shake him into looking elsewhere.

Finally, she looked up with a pleading look to Aerith, who walked over with a sigh. She caught Cloud's chin in her hand and slapped him across the face with the other. He blinked for a moment before finally leaning over to rest his head on the top of Tifa's with his eyes closed.

Aerith shook her head. "I did say that he was on medications…"

Tifa blushed and bit her lip. "I-I know. I won't take it personally. Unless he remembers it."

Zack snickered from the other side of Cloud. "Not as if he hasn't seen it before." Tifa shot him a glare and laughed as Cloud's head lolled over to the other side to rest on Zack.

……

Tifa sat in Aerith's, Zack's and Cloud's apartment, sitting on the couch in the living room with a cup of tea in her hands. She looked up as Aerith slipped out of the bedroom door down the hall with a sigh and four tears like claws in the left sleeve of her blouse. Zack walked over to her immediately and checked the bleeding cuts beneath with a caring look in his eye. Aerith smiled briefly at him before sweeping her palm over her arm and saying, _"Melior fieri!"_

Tifa stood from her seat slowly. "So, um, how is he?"

"Well," Aerith fingered the torn fabric of her shirt as she spoke, "There's a good reason why I didn't let you in there."

"He's still pretty bad, huh?"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous! This is nothing. I've seen him in a much worse state before. It's just the drugs wearing off. He'll be fine in a little bit. I give him an hour."

"O-okay…"

"But be warned, he'll go through a variety of phases before all the medications clear his system."

"Will I be able to talk to him then?"

"I don't see why not. Actually, we should start packing for Orcus so we can leave when he comes to." She paused to touch her chin. "I just hope he doesn't…"

……

Tifa walked through the apartment, helping Aerith and Zack pack their things into various trunks. A low scratching came from the other side of Cloud's bedroom door and his voice sounded through, his tone matching that of a frightened child, "Teefie…? Are you there? I'm scared…"

She looked over at Aerith, who nodded towards the door. Tifa walked over and knelt down on the floor outside the door, making sure it stayed latched even with Aerith's spell on it. She pressed her palm to the wood and rested her forehead against it before saying, "Cloud…? I'm here, Cloud."

"Tifa…?"

"I'm here… What's wrong?"

"They're coming… They're gonna get me. You have to save me, Tifa. Please."

"Who, Cloud? Who's coming?"

"_Them_. The villagers… They have torches… They'll kill me. They know what I am. Please don't let them hurt me, Tifa! Not again… Not again!!!"

Tifa jumped up as a 'thud' sounded against the door, likely Cloud throwing something—or himself—against it. She leaned on the hard wood, pressing both palms to it while her tears slowly drifted down her cheeks. "Cloud! Don't worry, Cloud. I won't let anyone hurt you! I'm here, you're here… That's all that matters! Okay? Do you hear me, Cloud?!"

His voice came back almost as a howl of pain and anger, "No!!! _No!!!_ Not again! Where is that sick bastard?! He could've saved her! Do you hear me?! You'll get yours! You could've saved her! Because of you, she's dead! It's all your fucking fault!"

Her tears started to come faster and she jumped back in surprise as five fingers pierced the door, each creating its own little hole in the wood. As she looked closer, she realized his fingers were longer, almost as if the digits were stretched out and the nails were pointed to form claws of some kind. A little up and to the left of the first hand came the second; again, his five fingers pierced through the door. Tifa felt a large hand grasp her upper arm and pull her away from the door just as a bright blue fire erupted from behind it, sending shards and splinters of door everywhere.

Aerith moved forward as Cloud slowly stepped out of the room. His eyes were, in a word, feral and a pattern of black tattoos decorated from the corners of his eyes and spread back to his hairline. Similar lines ran along his hands and up into the sleeves of his school uniform. His spiky blond hair was longer, falling back into a mane similar to Zack's. She could see his fangs were longer as he bared his teeth to let his breath heave in and out. He glanced around slowly until his eyes fell on Tifa and narrowed. Only then did she realize that Zack had pulled her to him to protect her from the explosion and hadn't yet let go.

She pulled away from Zack and moved closer to Cloud, spreading her arms wide. "No, Cloud, no! It's not what you think! He was protecting me! Nothing more!"

His chest rose and fell as his breath moved in and out. "T-Tifa… Why…?"

She swallowed her spit when she realized his rosario was missing from his leather band. She slowly took a step closer, hoping to buy enough time for Aerith to get his rosario back on and do what she had to to calm him down. "Cloud… You remember? You remember everything that happened between us? You drank my blood and became enslaved to me, remember? And then yesterday, I kissed you. After that you…" She swallowed. "You made love to me. Remember? Cloud… You're the one I want to be with… No one else."

Cloud blinked and scanned the room once before settling his eyes on Zack. The other man raised his hands in surrender and slowly backed away from Tifa. The blond turned back to her before holding out an elongated hand towards her. "Tifa… You promise…?"

She managed a small smile and took a step closer, reaching out for his hand. "I already did, Cloud. I promised to stay with you, remember? To never leave you."

His pointed fingers slowly wrapped around her normal ones before he slowly dropped to the floor. Tifa went with him, reaching a hand out to stroke his cheek. Silent tears slowly slipped down his from his eyes as he leaned closer to her, resting his head on her shoulder. "Tifa…" His voice failed him and he resorted to sobbing in her arms. The girl looked up to Aerith and Zack for help, but the woman was absent, likely searching his room for his rosario, and the man simply made motions like she should rub his back.

She did as she was told, slowly moving her hands up and down his back. Her own tears burned at her eyes and she felt them start to glide down her cheeks. She pulled Cloud closer, not really sure what else to do.

Aerith finally came out of the room and slipped the rosario into Tifa's hand, trusting her to get it back on. Tifa looked down at Cloud, whispering into his ear, "Cloud? Can you look up at me?" He shook his head against her shoulder, so she tried again, "Cloud? I need to see you. Please look at me."

He finally raised his head and looked her in the eye. She smiled softly and raised one hand to wipe his tears away, leaning closer to softly kiss away the tears on the other side. In her other hand, she slowly moved his rosario up to the hook on his leather band and slipped it on.

He blinked for a moment as his thoughts organized in his mind. Slowly, he leaned away from Tifa before raising an abnormal hand to wipe her tears away. "Tifa…?"

She smiled at the gentleness now filling his gaze as she gently wiped away the rest of his tears. "I'm here, Cloud. I'm here for you and with you. Forever."

He wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her close. "Tifa…"

"_Somnus!"_ Tifa looked up to find Aerith standing nearby with saddened look as Cloud slowly slumped down in her arms. Zack walked over and wordlessly lifted him over one shoulder to carry him to his room.

Tifa followed after them and watched as he set Cloud down on his bed. "Aerith…? What was that…?"

"A sleep spell. He'll rest up and get his personality back, slowly but surely."

"Can I… Can I stay here and sleep with him? I-I mean, not _with_ with him… Just, you know, lying next to him…"

"Of course. Go ahead. We'll be in the next room packing if anything happens."

_**Cloud**_

Uhh… What the hell happened…? My head…

"Cloud?"

Huh? I look down to find Tifa curled into my side and looking up at me with worry in her eyes. "Tifa…? What happened…?"

A small smile crosses over her features as she runs a hand through my hair. "Cloud, you… I was so scared…"

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to remember. "Tifa… I don't even remember… What happened after lunch with your parents?"

"That's a long story. I think Aerith could explain it better."

"Mm… Tifa…? What time is it?"

She shifts a little to glance at my God-forsaken alarm clock before setting back against my side. "It's ten-twenty."

I can't help but ask, "P.M?"

She giggles. "Yes, Cloud. It's ten-twenty p.m."

"Holy shit…" I run a hand through my hair. "What the fu-" I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. "What the hell happened to the day?!"

"As if you're one to complain, vampire."

"I'm not complaining, I'm just curious. I remember eating lunch and then—Poof!—nothing. What happened?"

"I told you, Aer- Speak of the witch!" She chuckles as the witch-in-question walks through the door, dragging a trunk after her.

Aerith looks over at me, scanning me with that oh-so-motherly gaze of hers. "You look better."

I scratch the back of my head. "Um… Thanks?"

She drops the trunk where she stands and flips it open before grabbing at my stuff and dropping it in. "All of our things are packed. All that's left is your stuff."

We both look over at Tifa as her cell phone starts to ring. She reaches in her pocket and checks the front of the flip phone. "It's my mom."

Aerith gave a heavy sigh. "Leave it. We'll have to tell Tuesti to create your homunculus so it appears to have died before now."

She bites her lip and nods, slipping the sleek phone back into her pocket. I reach over and, seriously having no clue what to do, grab her hand supportively. Or what I hope is supportive. She looks at me with a tiny smile, so I guess I did something right. Geez, that shy little smile… Damn it! Why does she have to be so cute?

I shift my hand to wrap around behind her and tip her chin closer with the other. I can hear Aerith sigh as I press my lips to Tifa's. I pull back with a shrug in my teacher's—Er, former teacher's direction. She rolls her eyes and closes the trunk before taking a seat on it. "Now, then. If you two are about done, I'll explain what happened today."

I glance at Tifa and she gives me this adorable little pout and asks, "One more?"

I shrug again before kissing her for a second time. I leave this one as a short but tender one, but only because I'm curious as all get-out to find out what happened. I pull away from Tifa before turning to Aerith. "Okay, now we're done."

She shakes her head. "Too bad. You took too long."

My jaw drops as Tifa sighs next to me. "What the crap?! Aerith! That's not even funny!"

She gives a little giggle. I didn't think women that old could giggle, but whatever. "I thought it was."

I sigh in defeat and drop back to my pillow. "Anyway…?"

Aerith sits up a little straighter. "I'll explain everything, since Seracor, here, doesn't really know that much about demons as of yet. First off, what started it all was your consumption of Seracor's peanut sauce."

My face must be screaming 'What the hell?' right now, 'cause that's about how I'm feeling. I oh-so-eloquently put my thoughts into words, "…Huh?"

"Iurgium, do you know what allergies are?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I remember now… My mom said I had a peanut allergy. It's been so long…"

"It's only natural that you would forget. Anyway, you ate the peanut sauce on Seracor's salad and started to react. Panicking, her parents called the mortal hospital. Once there, the human doctors found your heartbeat and temperature, while normal for a vampire, were way beyond that of any living human. They did all they could to 'help' you and pumped your body full of medications. Due to your… unique… body structure, the medications effected you differently than other demons. You passed out cold for awhile. When you finally woke up, you were delirious. We managed to get you back here and, not wanting to risk it, I left you to sleep in here and locked the door."

"Wait a second…" I hold up a hand to get her to pause. "What exactly did I do during the 'delirious' phase?"

Aerith shoots me a knowing smile. I am sooo not liking that look… "I'll leave that up to Seracor if she wants to tell. It involves her more."

I glance at her out of the corner of my eye to see her blushing and looking away from me. "Tifa… What did I do? I didn't… You know… try anything, did I?"

She bites her lip and still avoids looking at me. "Um… Nothing physical…"

"Uh… That's a good thing, right?"

Aerith gives a little laugh. "You did, however, find her chest to be a very fascinating thing to stare at."

Tifa blushes even more so. "A-Aerith! What did you have to tell him for?!"

"Because his reaction will be worth it. Trust me."

She's right. All I can do is blink. I did _what?!?!?!?!?!_ Still not looking at Tifa, all I can manage to say is, "Uh, Tifa… I…"

I doubt she's looking at me as she says, "D-don't worry, Cloud… You were medicated and…"

Aerith gives a full-fledged laugh. "Oh, to be young and shameful again!"

I look up and glare at her for a good, long moment before saying, "Anyway, what happened after that?"

She smiles evilly and touches a finger to her chin. "After you stared at her chest, or…?"

"After the damn delirious stage!!!"

She chuckles a little more before falling into strict teacher-mode. "When you finally woke, you were at a scared and frightened stage… Seracor attempted to comfort you before you switched—without much warning, I might add—to an aggressive stage. You used your—" She glances at Tifa "—flame to blast the door down. You stalked out and… The sight of you even upset me."

I scratch the back of my head. "So, uh… What exactly happened?"

"Somewhere along the way, you had removed your rosario. You had transformed into your full-fledged form."

I swear my face pales. "I… I… Holy fuck… I didn't hurt anyone, did I?"

Aerith shakes her head softly. "Luckily, you still recognized Tifa and she calmed you down while I found your rosario. Which reminds me, Seracor, you handled the situation perfectly."

Tifa nods a little. "Um, excuse my ignorance, but what exactly does 'full-fledged form' mean?"

I sigh and lean back against the wall. This isn't going to be a very fun conversation. "Vampires, like I explained earlier this week, are the most physical of all breeds. We desire blood and our rosarios seal that hunger. On top of that, though, they seal us into a form that actually puts us in control of what we do. If we go without a rosario for too long, we revert to our full-fledged form. I assume you saw mine, right?"

She blinks for a moment. "I… I guess…"

Aerith nods. "Yes, what you saw was his full-fledged form, or, as it's been nicknamed, his 'triple F.'"

"Triple… F…?"

I shrug. "It rolls off the tongue much more easily than 'full-fledged form.'"

"So… What exactly does a… triple F mean?"

I swallow my spit and take a breath before speaking, "When one attains that form, they lose all control of who they are—Which explains why I don't remember a damn thing—and what they're doing. Vampires throughout history have done a variety of things, from biting a human to destroying a city. One has killed her only child and another killed his companion in forced sex."

Aerith addresses Tifa. "What he's trying to say is, it's a miracle that he recognized you. He could have easily killed you and not have known what he was doing."

_**Tifa**_

Tifa stood with Aerith, Zack, and Cloud in the living room, glancing around the room one last time. She felt warm fingers worm their way in-between hers and she glanced over to see Cloud holding her hand with a saddened expression. He whispered for her ears only, "Don't worry. You'll like Orcus."

She nodded slowly, choking her tears back. "I know, but I… I'll still miss home. I didn't even get to see my brother."

He raised his eyes to meet hers. "You have a brother?"

"Yeah. His name's Genesis. He's twenty years old… He's back in Nibelheim for college."

"Huh… How come you never told me?"

"I don't know… I guess the subject just never came up. The spare bedroom you slept in that first night was his."

"Really? I didn't know that. Makes sense, I guess."

"Yeah…" She looked up as Aerith waved a hand over the mirror. A minute later, three ripples flowed across it, starting in the center and moving outward. Tifa took a deep breath and squeezed Cloud's hand. "I… guess this is it, huh?"

He nodded and squeezed her hand back. "Yeah… You ready?"

"Not really, but I don't really have much of a choice, do I?"

He chuckled at that. "I guess not. But don't worry, Teef. I'll be with you the whole way. Promise."

She managed a small smile. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks." She leaned closer and pressed her mouth to his in a quick kiss. "It's time then, huh?"

"Looks like it." He squeezed her hand once more before pulling her a step closer to the mirror. "Oh, yeah. One more thing…"

"Hm?"

"It's wet in there."

* * *

Hrm, well… That chapter turned out to be much more angsty than I intended. I wanted it to be more of a humor chapter, but I guess they wanted dark, depressive angst. Sigh… Ah, well. Oh, and a heads-up… I'm starting school again tomorrow and a friend got me started on LJ and IJ, so I've picked up a few prompts here and there… Hey, I was hurting for inspiration a few weeks back. *Shrugs* I'll try my damndest to keep my regular(?) stories updated. Anything I write for LJ and IJ I'll be posting here, too.

Please review!

-Valk


	10. Chapter 4: Come Into My World

This is long overdue, but I want to give a thank-you to everyone who's reviewed! Lots of hugs and homemade cinnamon muffins to: **mc, Lunie, amethyst-key, cloudlover2989, ohsnapples, windlight, Tani2, kerapal bubbles, **and **Rend.** Thanks so much, ladies and Rend! (…I _think_ you're all ladies… No offense if I'm wrong! Please don't hate me!)

Now, things are gettin' good.

Oh, and I just finished typing this and posted it. Don't hate me if there're any errors.

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Chapter 4  
**_**Come Into My World**_

_**Tifa**_

Tifa stumbled out of the gateway with Cloud right beside her, still holding her hand. She glanced around the dark caverns to find Orcus was almost exactly like Cloud had described. Dark grey—almost black—stone surrounded everything with the occasional flame licking its way up here and there. She turned and looked the way they'd come, gaping in awe at the sight of the gigantic round mirror positioned behind them. It was a good twenty-five feet in diameter with elaborate gold trimmings decorating the outside edge.

"It's called the _Magnus Aditus_. It was crafted by the artisans as a means to travel to the mortal realm."

Tifa turned back to face Cloud again. "What does _Magnus Adi-_whatever mean?"

He chuckled as he pulled his layers of shirts off and threw them in one of the fires. _"Magnus Aditus._ The direct translation is incredibly corny. Trust me; it sounds much better in our language."

She blinked. "Um… Okay… I'll take your word on that."

He grinned. "Good."

Aerith turned around to address the two of them, "Iurgium, why don't you go get Seracor settled into the vampire district and—" She scanned her jeans and sweatshirt. "—attire. Nundinae, could you take our things back to our room while I go to the council and sort this mess out?"

Zack nodded and lifted the handles of two trunks and effortlessly dragged them down one of the tunnels. Cloud moved over and picked up the third and final trunk before turning to face Tifa with a grin. "Come on, Teef! Let's go!"

Aerith gave her head a shake before sighing. "Iurgium, you think you can handle showing Seracor to her new room without stopping to suck her lips off every three minutes?"

Cloud shrugged without a trace of shame. "I think I'll manage."

Tifa blushed and turned to follow Cloud down one of the many passages. She walked along behind him, glancing down every tunnel to see what was down there. Each one of them looked the exact same and she started to wonder how Cloud knew where he was going.

"Hey, Cloud?" she said as she glanced back up to find Cloud nowhere in sight. Her eyes widened as she realized she'd somehow gotten split off from him and turned, looking around in panic for him. "Cloud…? Cloud…?" She finally gave up and sat down on the rock floor, figuring Cloud would have a better chance of finding her if she stayed put and didn't wander too far.

"Soo…"

Tifa looked up in alarm to see a teenage girl a little younger than she floating four feet off the ground in front of her. She smirked evilly. "You must be the newcomer that the blood-sucker screwed. Nice to meetcha!"

She narrowed her eyes at the girl, not really sure who this girl was or why she was floating. "And you are…?"

"Well, isn't it polite to introduce yourself first?"

Tifa shifted uncomfortably under her dark hazel gaze. "Um, I'm Tifa."

She grinned. "Hiya! I'm-"

"Yuffie! Get your fucking little fucking fucker body away from her!"

Tifa turned to see Cloud racing down the cavern, looking incredibly angry. She did what she thought to be wisest in this situation and took a step back to press herself to the wall as he pounced at the floating girl and tackled her to the ground. He sat above her, his knees braced on either side and one hand holding her throat as he extended his other hand to his side.

Tifa watched as his fingers extended into the sharp nails he'd had while recovering from the medications. He thrust his hand down and all she could do was watch as the girl wriggled underneath him and flipped her legs up to twist her ankles around his neck and push him to the floor. He rolled back in a somersault and jumped at her again, this time raking his claws along the left side of her jaw.

Another demon walked down the hall with a book in his hand, not even bothered by Cloud's and the girl's fight. "Oh, I see Cloud's home. I thought it was a little too quiet without our resident troublemaker." He disappeared around the corner and Tifa shifted her attention back to the fight to see the two of them twisted on the floor, one of the girl's arms wrapped around Cloud's neck and the other firmly in his grasp.

He leaned closer to her wrist while parting his lips to bite down before pausing. Instead, he pulled on her arm to twist it painfully before standing. "It's not worth it." He walked over to where Tifa stood, holding a hand over her heart in terror. "Hey… You okay? She didn't hurt you at all, did she?"

The girl stuck her lip out and shouted from her place on the floor, "Hey! You big meanie! You're lucky remedies and tonics were last week!" She kicked herself off the ground and floated away while whimpering.

Tifa watched her go before turning back to face Cloud, who stood in front of her while leaning his hands on the stone behind her head. "Uh, yeah… I'm fine. She was just introducing herself."

"Yuffie never just 'introduces herself.' She always has an ulterior motive for everything. She's a succubus. Fair warning: vampires and succubuses have never really gotten along. You'd be wise to stay away from them; at least until you're more used to Orcus."

She nodded. "A-alright… I'll remember that. I'm sorry…"

He blinked and leaned back to look at her more fully. "For what?"

"For wandering… I was just looking around and I guess I got separated from you. I'm sorry."

He smiled and shifted his hand to wipe at her tears. "Tifa… You haven't done anything wrong. These things happen. I should be the one apologizing for taking so long to realize you were gone."

"Cloud…" She flushed a shade of red as he leaned closer to kiss her gently.

A red-headed demon walked past with a snort. "And he lasted ten minutes."

_**Cloud**_

"Um, Cloud…? Are you sure about this…?"

I laugh and lean back on the bed, glad to be back in my regular vampire-style leather pants with my duster falling down my left leg. "'Course I'm sure! Don't you trust me?"

Her voice comes back through the velvet curtain, "Under normal circumstances, yes, but this…? This seems a little far-fetched…"

"Tifa… Will you at least let me see? I mean, you did want me to help you get the measurements for Lord Reeve… while you were naked… This can't be that bad, can it?"

"Um… Alright… Here I come… I guess…" I sit up as the curtain pushes back and she steps out. I can't help it. My jaw drops and hangs there numbly. My reaction isn't helping the situation, because Tifa just blushes and wraps one arm over her chest and pulls her skirt down a little with the other.

On her upper torso is a simple top that's more like a strap circling around her bust. Connected to the top of that, two straps come off and criss-cross across her chest before wrapping over her shoulders and meeting behind her neck. The pale skin of her stomach is left wide open for me to stare at and, maybe, touch. Settled at her waist is two pieces of leather that stay together with the lacings alongside her hips. The one on the front just runs down to the middle of her thighs and I have to stop myself before licking my lips. The one in the back is much longer, almost reaching the floor. On her feet is a pair of knee-high boots laced up with white stitches. The black leather looks _good_ on her…

I blink and finally get my jaw to work well enough to speak. "Uh, wow, Tifa… You look… You look amazing."

She blushes even more. "Uh… Th-thanks… I just… This outfit is so…"

I jump to my feet and walk over to her, setting my hands on her shoulders. "Tifa. You look so much like a well-versed vampiress… If I didn't know better, I would think you were one of the higher ranking vampires around here."

"Uh, thank you?"

I chuckle. She's just too cute! "Rank is determined by strength, so to be a higher rank, you'd have to be able to kick a lot of ass and take a lot of names."

She finally cracks a smile and slowly moves her hands away from her body. "Cloud… You really think so..?"

"Of course I do."

"So… All vampires wear stuff like this? I mean, you without your shirt and me without much of one?"

"Yeah. Stereotypical traits aside, you know, fangs and blood-sucking and all, there are three traits that vampires are known for." I grin. "Any guesses?"

She touches a finger to her chin while thinking. Either she's been spending too much time around Aerith or that's just something all girls do. Who knows? She looks back up at me. "Um, could you… give me an example, maybe? What sort of thing am I trying to guess here?"

"Alright. Well, the first one is we're always, and I mean _always_, independent. No vampire has ever been completely comfortable relying on others."

"Even you? Don't you trust me?"

Damn it. How do I explain this one…? "Independence is all relative. It's a very different thing from intimacy. What I mean when I say 'independent' is that I hate accepting help. It doesn't necessarily mean I'm narcissistic. I really like you, Tifa! I don't like accepting help… But that doesn't mean I always hate helping others. I'm happy when I'm with you. I've never really felt like I do when I'm with you."

Only then do I realize she's started laughing. Damn it. I think my hearing is going on me… I've never missed the sound of footsteps behind me before, like when Tifa disappeared on her own earlier. And now I couldn't even hear her laugh? Now, the change in her emotions I can understand… I've never been able to smell them in vampires quite like I could in other demons or mortals.

She smiles up at me with a radiant glow in her pale skin. "So what are the other two traits?"

"Oh, right. You don't have any guesses?" I smirk and lean closer to her, looking her eye-to-eye.

She shakes her head. "Not really, no. What are they?"

"Fine. I'll just tell you. Our second common trait is that we usually keep to ourselves. Not that we're always unfriendly, just quiet. Like yours truly. I'm a friendly enough guy, right? But I'll let you in on a secret." I lean closer to whisper in her ear, "I _hate_ talking to other people. Especially mortals. No offense, but before I'd met you, I hated every mortal with a black-hearted passion."

She looks up at me. "Really?"

"Yeah… I have my reasons, though. It's not just an empty hatred I developed."

She swallows. "Will you tell me? Your reasons?"

"I promise I will later, but…"

She nods slowly. "Okay. What's the third trait?"

"The third one… Well, not to sound conceited, but vampires are always sexy."

A blank expression crosses her face. "…Say what?"

"What I mean is, our physical bodies are always lean and muscular. Most are tall, but I didn't exactly get that gene. We're the most desired, physically, other than succubuses, only we aren't as cheap with our bodies."

"I see… I think. Is that why vampires and succubuses fight so much?"

I blink. "Huh?"

She giggles. "Do you—we—always fight succubuses because we're the most, uh, desirable?"

My hand reaches up to scratch the back of my head while I ponder this. "You know, that might actually have something to do with it. It's been several millennia since the feud began and no one can remember exactly why it did anymore."

She giggles. "You know something, Cloud?"

I turn my eyes back to hers. "Hn?"

She grins while leaning closer. "You're closer to 'cute' than 'sexy.'"

"H-hey!"

She smiles wider. "Well… You said so yourself… You're just a young brat."

Fine. We can play if you want. "Well, I'm still older than you. If I'm a young brat, then what are you?"

She straightens up and links her fingers behind her back while rocking back and forth on her heels. "Me? I'm adorable."

Damn it. She wins. "Yeah, you are."

Her smile turns even sweeter. "Well? Aren't you going to kiss me?"

I sigh in defeat. "We'll have plenty of time for that later. But for now we have to get you settled in your room and maybe get some food."

"Okay. I am a little hungry…"

I grin. "Get ready to taste your first blood as a vampire. It's an experience you won't soon forget. Promise."

_**Tifa**_

She followed Cloud through the twisting tunnels, down through various caverns. At first, she tried memorizing what turns they were taking, but got lost after the first few. He held her onto her wrist the whole way, just to make sure she didn't get lost again. Finally, he released her arm as he slowed to a stop in a particular room. Despite the fact that there were fires sprouting up at random, several red velvet sofas decorated the plushy den and didn't seem to be in danger of bursting into flame.

She raised an eyebrow at Cloud and asked, "Where are we?"

He shrugged, his smile gone from his face. "This is the vampire lounge. Only those of our breed are allowed without permission of Lord Rufus."

"Who…" She paused, taking a moment to wonder about his change in demeanor. "Who's Lord Rufus?"

A few eyebrows of vampires already present rose but none commented. Cloud sighed and rubbed his brow before replying, "Lord Rufus is the vampire representative of the council. He has proven himself as the strongest vampire, so he speaks on all our behalf to the rest of the breeds."

"I see… So, is there a council member for each breed, then?"

"Yeah."

"So… what do we do here?"

He shot her an incredulous look. "It's a _lounge,_ Tifa. What else would you do?"

She flinched and turned to him, giving him a blank stare. "Cloud… What's gotten into you? You're so… cold."

He shook his head slowly and grabbed her arm to pull her to the corner of the room. He stopped and turned to her with a serious expression. With a tone lower than a whisper, he said, "Look, Tifa… It's just…"

She crossed her arms over her chest with a hurt expression on her face. "What, Cloud? What is it?"

He sighed. "Tifa, it's… I don't really belong here. I never have."

"Why not? You're a vampire, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah, but… I've just always had a reputation as being closed off."

Her eyebrows rose as she digested that bit. _"That's_ your big excuse for acting like a… a cold… a cold _bastard?"_ She blinked back her tears as she spat out one of the first swear words in her life.

Cloud looked around for a second, trying to figure out what to say. "Tifa, you don't get how things are here. It's so different from Gaia that it's-"

"Excuse me."

Cloud sighed as Tifa turned to greet the new face. She extended a hand towards the man with long, black hair. "Hi."

The man gave a short nod and a slight bow. "Greetings. You must be Tifa. I am Vincent Valentine, former council member of the vampires."

She nodded and forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm Tifa. Tifa Lockhart. Nice to meet you."

Vincent only nodded again before excusing himself and walking away. She watched him walk away and momentarily forgot about her anger with Cloud. "That was cryptic…"

Cloud hummed his agreement, "Mm. Yeah, that was Vincent. He's kind of a weirdo. He always introduces himself to every demon in Orcus; succubus or not; former human or purebred demon… Whatever. Oddly, he's hard as hell to talk to after that first introduction."

She shook her head, remembering what they were talking about before. "Anyway! Cloud, I don't believe you! How can you think that your reputation is most important? Was I wrong in thinking you actually _liked_ spending time with me?"

"Tifa… You're right. I do like being with you. I just… Look, just give me a second and we'll go back to your room and talk there, okay?"

She nodded. "Alright. Make it quick. I want to know what exactly you're talking about."

"Alright. Be right back." He turned and walked off at a quick walk over to a large chest-like thing, almost like a floor freezer, and came back over with two bottles in his hands. He nodded his head towards the door to signal for her to follow.

……

Cloud stopped outside the door to her room to let her in first before following her inside. She sat down on the bed and turned to him with narrowed eyes. "I'm waiting."

He sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Tifa… It's difficult…"

"Try me."

He glanced down and remembered the two bottles still in his hands. Raising a hand, he tossed one to Tifa for her to catch before walking over and climbing up onto the bed next to her. She looked at it curiously and he answered her unspoken question, "It's blood. When demons travel to the human realm, they harvest the blood of already-dead humans for us vampires to drink."

She looked down inside the bottle for a moment. "And you're sure this doesn't constitute as cannibalism, right?"

He gave a little chuckle before taking a drink from his bottle. "I'm pretty sure."

"Okay… Here goes…" She pinched her nose and tipped her head back as she took a drink from the bottle. The taste forced her to swallow and lean forward in surprise as her senses went wild.

Cloud watched her reaction for a moment while hesitantly raising a hand in attempt to rub her back, but decided against it at the last minute. "Tifa? You okay?"

She nodded. "W-wow… That's… Wow. I can't remember tasting anything quite like that… I mean, I've bitten the inside of my mouth and tasted blood before, but it's never felt like this…"

He smiled. "I told you it would be a moment you'd never forget."

She slumped down on the bed, still holding the small bottle, and glanced at Cloud out of the corner of her eye. "Hey, Cloud…? I'm sorry about back there… I shouldn't have…"

He gave his head a shake. "No, Tifa, you should've… I… You lived in Nibelheim in the mortal realm, right? We'll think of it as if you moved to Midgar for a few weeks and then went back to Nibelheim with a big-city boyfriend. Wouldn't you try to fit in the way you did before you left?"

She took another sip of her blood while she thought about it. "I don't know. I think I'd be anxious to introduce my boyfriend to all my old friends."

"What if you didn't have friends? Say you were the town delinquent who did everything out of order and against the laws? If all you had were some old stomping grounds and some associates who know you for what skills you have and not what you dream about for the future?"

"Cloud, I… I'm a firm believer that people can change. Maybe you were alone before, but you're not anymore. I'm here with you now. All I ask is that you don't hide how you feel, you know? I mean, if you don't really like me, then stay as a grumpy jerk, but if I, like you said, make you happy just by being next to you, then act happy. Please?"

He nodded slowly. "Tifa… I really do like you, you know." He reached over, taking Tifa's bottle from her and set both his and hers on the table by the bed. Turning back to her, he twisted over her to straddle her while leaning closer to kiss her. He slowly touched his palm to her shoulder and pushed her to her back, gently teasing her lower lip with his fangs.

Her hands slowly wrapped up around his neck to hold him there while his free hand slipped down to caress over the bare skin over her stomach. Her back arched up automatically as her fingers twisted into his hair. She smiled beneath his dominating presence, happy to have the Cloud from before back.

"Ahem."

Cloud pulled away from Tifa in shock and looked in the direction of the door to see Zack standing there with a slight smirk. He crossed his arms and grinned. "Well, then, if you're about done mauling her, I have something to say."

Cloud sat back to sit on his heels and Tifa propped herself up on her elbows. She blinked at the werewolf for a moment, waiting for him to speak. When he didn't, she asked, "What is it, Zack?"

The smile disappeared from his face as he turned for the door. "The council will see you now."

* * *

Okay… Any guesses on what the council has to say? The story should be taking a more interesting turn from here on out, so bear with me, 'kay?

Please review!

-Valk


	11. Chapter 5: Crimson Masquerade

Thanks to **kerapal bubbles**, **mc**,** Lunie, cloudlover2989, Rend, heyuekai, windlight,** **V-Ninja,** and** Hishin Trueflame** for their wonderful reviews! I love you guys, you know.

I'm not really sure what the title of this one has to do with the chapter itself, but it sounded cool ;)

* * *

**Blood, Sweat and Tears**

**Chapter 5  
**_**Crimson Masquerade**_

_**Tifa**_

Tifa walked beside Cloud and behind Zack down more confusing halls. She stopped in her tracks and stared as they passed through a hall with both sides wide open like a terrace. Looking over the four-foot railing carved of rough granite, she saw a lower level with a wide set of golden double doors set directly across from the center of the path she was on. She walked over to the railing to look down in surprise at the central area. So many different looking demons walked past, going about their business, without really paying one another any mind.

Cloud walked over next to her and leaned on the railing. "What's wrong?"

She gave her head a shake. "Nothing… I was just… This place is incredible…"

"I know. Those doors lead to the council chamber. This particular railing is a common hotspot and meeting place. I always did a lot of my thinking here." He snorted out a small laugh. "When I was eleven, I got into a fight with another demon and I ended up being thrown over the edge here. That was a fun day."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "And you were alright? Just like that?"

"Oh, hell, no. I had a couple of broken bones here and there. I wound up lying there until Aerith got out of council because I wouldn't let anyone else touch me."

"Um…" Tifa absent-mindedly ran her fingers over the rough stone. "I have to ask, Cloud…"

He raised an eyebrow in question. "Hn?"

"Eh… Were you… and Aerith…?"

He blinked for a moment, processing her words. It hit him and he jumped back in alarm. "What? No! That's… Yegh!" He took a breath to calm himself down and set his hands on Tifa's shoulders. "Let me clear this up for you. Zack and Aerith have been companionated for decades before I was even born. Aerith took me and raised me when my real mom died. She's more like a mother figure to me, okay? Nothing like… like… like what you and I are."

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "You mean it?"

"Yeah." His hand slid up to cup her cheek softly as he leaned in to brush his lips along hers. "You know what you said…? About expressing how I feel? Well, I need your help in order to do that." He pressed closer and sealed his lips to hers, slowly shifting his hands to wrap around her back.

"Hey! Hurry it up, you two!"

Tifa managed to pull herself back from Cloud and looked own over the railing to find Zack standing in front of the golden doors with his arms crossed in front of him. Cloud looked down and called, "Alright, alright… We'll be right down!"

Tifa moved out of Cloud's embrace and started to walk in the direction they had been before. Cloud spoke from behind her. "Where are you going?"

She turned on her heel and pointed down the tunnel. "Isn't that the right direction?"

"Well, yeah, it works… But we'll be taking a shortcut." He moved up next to her and, before she knew what was going on, scooped her up in his arms.

She let out a small cry and threw her arms around his neck on instinct. "Cloud! What are you-?"

"I told you. We're taking a shortcut. Hang on." He took a few steps back to stand against one side of the bridge before breaking into a run and hurdling over the edge.

Her arms tightened around his shoulders as they went down the thirty foot drop. "Cloud, what…?! Ahhh-ugh!" Her scream transitioned into a grunt as Cloud landed on his feet a few yards away from Zack.

He grinned at Tifa, who still hadn't loosened her grip. "See? That wasn't so bad!"

She finally moved one of her hands enough to slap him across the cheek. "You idiot! You scared me! You stupid, ugly, jerk!"

"Hey, now… I'm not ugly…" He looked around Tifa at Zack. "Hey, Zack! Am I ugly? No, wait, don't answer that."

Zack grinned. "Too late. You already said it."

Cloud shrugged and slowly moved to set Tifa on her feet. "Let's just get the council over and done with."

The werewolf gave a nod. "Alright. I won't be allowed in there, so it's just you two against the council."

"They're seeing us together?"

"Well, you're being punished for being _together,_ you know. Anyway, better hurry and Godspeed."

"Gee, thanks."

The wide doors parted and Tifa felt Cloud hold her hand again. She turned to smile at him. "It's okay, Cloud. I'm a big girl. I can do this without you holding my hand."

Instead of letting go, he squeezed harder. "What are you talking about? Did it ever cross your mind that maybe I wanted support?"

"Um, is the council that scary?"

"Nah, I was kidding. I was trying to help you." He grinned widely before taking a step inside and pulling her with him.

Zack waved after them. "Good luck!"

Tifa walked with Cloud through the wide opening and stared in awe at the gigantic room inside. Circling the large room was an upper tier about ten feet up with numerous alcoves. In each one was a richly decorated throne and a demon seated within. Directly opposite the doors was a darkened alcove, keeping who or whatever shrouded in darkness. Tifa turned when the echoing slam of the doors sounded behind her before facing the rest of the room again. About nine seats to the right of the dark one sat Aerith, prim and proper in her throne.

She spoke when the doors closed, "May I present, Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart!"

A blond man about four seats to the left of the dark alcove called out, "Cloud, Cloud, Cloud… You've long been irresponsible as one of our citizens, but this oversteps even your personal set of boundaries."

Cloud sighed and, probably more for Tifa's benefit than his own, replied, "Understood, Lord Rufus."

Lord Rufus turned to address Tifa. "Welcome to our people, Tifa."

She nodded and Cloud made motions like she should bow, so she did. "Thank you, Lord Rufus."

He hummed a slight acknowledgement before leaning back in his throne. Tifa jumped out of surprise when a dark, raspy voice sounded from the darkened alcove, "Cloud Strife… Tifa Lockhart…"

Cloud and all of the other demons present turned to face the darkness when the voice sounded, so Tifa turned to look as well. The masculine voice continued, "Cloud, you have been discharged as Aerith's student, therefore leaving the both of you without tutelage. This meeting is to assign the both of you instructors and to find a suitable punishment for you, Cloud."

Cloud nodded once. "Understood, Milord."

Tifa blinked, wondering what was so special about the darkened nook. His voice sounded again, "Cloud, you will be entered under the tutelage of Scarlet, council member of the succubuses."

The blond stiffened immediately. "Milord…! I must protest!"

The raspy voice almost sounded humored as he replied, "And why is that?"

"Surely you know of the long-running rivalry between vampires and succubuses, Milord?"

A chuckle echoed from the darkness and he spoke. "Very well. I received word of another demon who wished to take on a student."

"Who is it, Milord?"

"I believe you know him. A werewolf by the name of Zack Fair."

Tifa glanced at Cloud to find his normally pale face even paler. "_Please_ tell me you're joking, Milord…"

"Of course not. From this day forward, Zack Fair will be your tutor." His voice turned to address the other demon before the council. "Tifa… Lockhart, is it? You shall be learning under Reeve Tuesti, council member for the necromancers."

She bowed, unsure of how to behave exactly. "Um, okay, Milord…"

"Now, please step outside and wait until we assign a suitable punishment for Cloud."

She snuck a glance at Cloud, who just nodded his head towards the door. After reaching out and squeezing his hand briefly, she turned and walked to the doors. She jumped when they opened for her and walked through to find Zack still outside. He raised an eyebrow. "Where's Cloud?"

She watched as the door closed behind her before turning to answer Zack's question. "They wanted to give him his punishment when I wasn't there."

"Ah, yeah, the council's freaky that way. So! You know who your teacher is? You're going to be learning under them for the next six or so years, so I hope you got someone good."

"Does Reeve Tuesti sound right…?"

"Yep! Reeve's a nice guy, despite his obsession with the dead. He's a necromancer, so… Oh, yeah! He's the guy you met back in the mortal realm who was going to make your homunculus. I forgot you met already."

"Oh, okay… I guess…"

"Who'd Cloud get?"

She giggled to herself. "I'll let him tell you that."

Zack laughed himself. "Uh-oh. If you're laughing it must either be a succubus or someone you've already met."

"Mmm… Maybe…"

"I've known Cloud since he was up to my waist. I know what few things piss him off."

"Okay. I believe you."

The doors opened again and Cloud walked out slowly. Tifa turned to smile at him and he managed a weak grin in return before wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her. She pulled away and looked at him with wide eyes, blushing when Zack said, "Was it that bad?"

Cloud sighed. "Of course it was. Look at who I'm stuck with for a teacher!"

The raven-haired man raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Tifa didn't tell you?"

"Nope."

He shrugged. "Looks like you and I will be spending quite a bit of time together."

"Me?"

"Yep."

"So the Dominus finally gave me a student? Aw, man, this is gonna be so cool! I've been applying to teach for the last fifty years! And you, to boot! I mean, even if I mess up, no one will know since you're such a screw-up, anyway!"

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence…"

Tifa touched Cloud's shoulder gently. "So, um… What's your punishment?"

His shoulders sagged as he mumbled, "Asinine."

"Huh?"

"It's asinine."

"What it is it, Cloud?"

"I… Starting at six a.m. tomorrow, I won't be allowed to see you for two months."

Tifa gasped. "But…! How am I supposed to get used to this place without you to show me around…?"

"You'll have a teacher and there'll be other demons to help you. All of one breed generally sticks together, so if you need something, you could probably ask any other vampire."

"But… But…"

He cracked a quick smile. "Don't worry, Teef. Two months will fly by before you know it. And we still have a few hours left tonight to enjoy ourselves."

"I…"

"Come on. Let's go have some fun before six."

"But, Cloud…"

"Come on! Don't go off, dwelling on what we can't change. Let's just enjoy the time we have! Trust me, you'll be so busy over the next two months, you won't even notice I'm not there."

"If you say so…"

"I do. Now come on! Let's go do something fun!"

_**Cloud**_

I walk into the large room and release her wrist, grinning as she stares in awe. She turns, looking around at everything before facing me. She asks, "What is it?"

I just blink. Did she just…? "What?"

"What is this place?"

I slap my forehead. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Um, no… Not really…"

"This is the _exercitatio atrium,_ or the training hall. We usually refer to it as the atrium in passing."

"Okay, so… What do you train for in here? My guess would fighting, but…"

"But…?"

"I don't know. Am I right?"

"Yep! Come on. You'll be spending quite a bit of time here in the beginning to catch up, but I'm sure you'll be just fine."

She gives me a soft smile. "If you think so."

"I'm sure of it! Oh, look! There's an extra sparring ring over there!" I reach out and grab her wrist, dragging her over to the ring and stopping on one side. "Okay, show me what you can do."

She pauses. "But what if I hurt you?"

"Don't worry about that. I've been training since I was a kid. I won't fight back, I'll just block what you throw at me, okay?"

"Um… If you're sure…"

"I am. Come on, come at me!"

She looks around for a moment, looking a little uncertain before taking her place across from me. I shake out my joints to get ready and raise an eyebrow as she gives a brief bow. Maybe it's a mortal custom or something? "Tifa, what was-?"

Red flashes across my vision as a leather shoe makes contact with the side of my face. What the…? Her elbow rams into my stomach and her foot hooks around my knee, throwing me down onto my back.

I lay there, trying to figure out what just happened when her face comes into my view looking incredibly worried. She reaches out and touches the sore spot on my left cheek and says, "Oh, Cloud! I'm so sorry! I thought you said you were going to block!"

My fingers come up and close around hers. Hey, that kick stung. When leather boots come flying at your face and connect with precise accuracy, it usually does. "And I thought you said you couldn't fight?"

She blinks. "I never said that."

"Geez… Some warning would've been nice, though."

"I'm sorry, Cloud… Are you okay…?"

I smirk internally and give an exaggerated groan. "I don't know… That kick threw me for a loop…"

Her eyes are filled with a genuine worry now. "I'm so, so sorry… What do you want me to do?"

"Could you…?" I reach out and set one hand at her waist and slowly touch her face with the other. She still looks worried and doesn't notice when I slip my hand down to her shoulder and tug, pulling her down over me.

She gasps in surprise from her place against my side before slapping one of her hands down on my chest. "You liar! I was worried about you!"

"First lesson about Orcus: What comes around, goes around."

"Huh?"

"Every debt will always be repaid. Whether it's one of kindness or of humiliation, the recipient will always return the favor."

"I see… So…"

"Hn?"

"So if you kiss me, then do I have to kiss you back?"

Oh, Tifa… You're just so cute! "Yeah, it does." I pull her closer to me and angle my neck to press my lips to hers.

A horrifying thought occurs to me. What if I had some sort of effect on her? What if, either when she drank my blood or when we had sex, what if I did something to her? Shit! I shouldn't have… I should have more control by now! And then I had to go and reveal my triple F… Damn it…

"Cloud…?"

I look back towards Tifa and manage a little smile. "Hn?"

She looks at me with worry in her eyes. "What's wrong…? You seem so… detached all of a sudden."

"I just…" I look away for a moment. "I'm just wondering how you can still be with me."

She raises her eyebrow and purses her lips out of confusion. "What do you mean?"

I shift to sit up and she moves back to settle on her heels. I run my hand through my hair and sigh. "It's just… With everything that's happened… You've been so calm… I mean, when you saw Zack transforming and when I bit you, you were so… Most mortals would've been frightened out of their skin."

She gives this adorable little grin and says, "I guess I'm not most mortals, then, huh?"

I smirk and lean closer to touch my nose to hers. "Nor am I any generic demon."

* * *

Soo… Anyone have any guesses as to what Cloud might be referring to? And I told you guys Zack would play a larger role! Anyway, I gotta go get ready for school tomorrow, so I'll post this and fly. See you next time, friends!

Review?

-Valk


	12. Chapter 6: The Curse of His Powers

Thanks to **V-Ninja, heyuekai, kerapal bubbles, hishin trueflame, Lunie, Toriga-Okami, cloudlover2989, **and** mc**for their lovely, lovely reviews!

I'm sorry it took me so long, but all my midterms are this week. I'll probably be falling off the face of the Earth for a little while, with the minor exception of posting an already-written smutfic in Words on Wednesday. It's a prompt for LJ, so I'm waiting to post it until it's due.

And I'm fairly certain it's error-free, but seeing as to how I don't have a beta to double-check this one, I can't be absolutely sure. Nobody's perfect, right?

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Chapter 6  
**_**The Curse of His Powers**_

_**Cloud**_

Sigh. I lay on the floor of the sparring ring with Tifa next to me. She looks up at me with a gentle smile and slowly leans up a little to press a kiss to my cheek. I look down at her and pull her a little closer while fanning my fingers out on her bare stomach. "Hey, Tifa? We only have about five more-"

"Iurgium, Seracor?"

Shit. We still have time! I sit up and glare towards the door to find Aerith standing there with Zack and Reeve. "Aerith, we still have five more minutes!"

She shakes her head with a smile. "The council said that you would have until six a.m. to see her, not to be alone with her. We still need to discuss a few last-minute things while the two of you are here."

I sigh. "Such as?"

"Just a few things. First off, it is up to Zack and Reeve, as your respective teachers, to make sure you uphold the punishment. Merely being in the same room is enough to be break it. And, as you know—or at least you, Iurgium—any broken punishment is reinforced tenfold. If you break the rules, you'll be forced to spend twenty more months apart. Understood?"

Tifa nods slowly as she pulls herself to her feet. "Um, I think so…"

"Good. Now, then, Seracor, this is Iurgium's punishment, so we will do what we can to make you more comfortable. I understand that the two of you have become rather close and relaxed with each other, but we will do our best to help you find other friends here in Orcus. Vampire or no, you should never be entirely alone."

"Um, thank you…"

Reeve smiles oh-so sweetly—but in more of a father way than a flirty way—at Tifa and says, "Well, then, Tifa. Shall we get started?"

She glances over at me and gives this adorable little upturn of her lips. "So, um… I guess this is goodbye… For now, I mean. I'll see you again in two months, right?"

Oh, crap… I hate this! I fucking hate this! Damn it, Tifa… Don't give me that look! It's just going to make it harder on me to watch you leave. Aw, shit… Come here! One last kiss?

I reach out and snag her wrist before she can take a step and pull her to me. I angle my chin to kiss her and shift my hands around her waist to pull her nice and snug against me. Is it just me, or is kissing her a helluva lot hotter when her bare skin is pressed against mine? Sure, it's not as much skin as we had last night, but still… Being out of those horrid mortal clothes is a huge relief.

Tifa pulls back from me and smiles up at me. "I better go… Take care, Cloud…"

"Yeah, I'll try not to get myself killed over the next two months." Why did I say _that?_ Way to be romantic, Strife.

She gives a little, melodious giggle and turns slowly, walking over to follow Aerith and Lord Reeve out the door. She looks back briefly and waves once, flashing a bright smile before leaving the atrium.

"So…"

Oh, piss-shit-damn. I'm still stuck with Zack, aren't I? My smile fades immediately and I turn over to face my teacher. "What?"

He grins from ear-to-ear despite everything that just happened. "Sorry, Cloud. I'm just excited to have a student."

I roll my eyes. "Fine. So what's my first lesson, 'Master'?"

His smile widens. "First things first. Never, ever, ever forget her birthday."

Wait, what? "Huh?"

"It's the mark of their maturity. You should never forget it. You'd even do good to do something special for her… Plan a trip to the mortal realm… Reserve a private bath… Lock yourselves in your room… Well, you can't legally abuse the last two, but you get what I mean, right?"

"Uh…" What the _hell_ is he talking about? Does he mean… Tifa an' me? What the hell…?

"Oh, and see if you can find her turn-on's nice and quick… Just in case she's had a rough day and needs to simmer down."

"_What the hell are you talking about?"_ I hiss, suddenly getting what he's talking about. "Zack, I'm seventeen. I can figure these things out for myself, just as I've done with everything else in my life."

He gives a casual shrug as if he didn't say anything wrong. "Just trying to help. Let's see if you still think that way when you and Tifa are companionated and you have no idea—" He grins. "—how to treat your superior demon."

"Zack, neither Tifa or me have even had the first dream yet."

"Maybe not the right dream, but I'll make a bet you two had a different kind of dream last night."

He did _not_ just say that. I force my best growl—which sounds pretty damn scary, even to me—into my voice as I say, "Zack…"

And then I pounce. He sidesteps easily, so I angle my body to land in a somersault. I roll into a half-crouching, half-kneeling position and turn to glare at him.

He laughs and walks over, digging his hand into my hair in an affectionate noogie. "Trust me, kid. You've still got a lot to learn."

I grab his wrist and yank his hand out of my hair. "Shut the fuck up! You don't know anything about me!"

I turn to walk away, pausing when he says, "Which reminds me… Tifa doesn't, either, does she?"

……

Two days later, I lay back on my bed as Zack sits backwards in one of my chairs. "Okay, this is as good a time as any."

I sit up straight and look at him. "More of—what is it?—'The Talk'?"

He shakes his head, face void of any playfulness. "Something else. Tifa doesn't know what you are, does she?"

I drop down onto my belly and exhale, blowing my bangs up from my face. "No, I haven't told her."

"I didn't think so."

"What's it matter? I can't see her for two months, anyway."

"That's the thing." He stands, flips the chair around, and sits back down on it the right way. "I was talking to Aerith and Lord Reeve about this, and we all decided that she should hear it from you. It's not exactly private knowledge down here, so chances are Tifa'll find out from another source pretty quickly."

I raise an eyebrow in his direction. "What's your point?"

"My point is that the three of us agreed—as did the council—to let you see Tifa for another twenty-four hour period so you can tell her."

Both of my eyebrows go straight up as my eyes widen. "You what?"

"You heard me. Starting at six a.m. today, you'll have twenty-four hours to track her down and talk to her."

Oy.

_**Tifa**_

"Oww…!"

Tifa bent down and extended her hand to the girl on the floor. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! I'm not used to vampire-quick reflexes yet…"

She kicked off the ground and glared at the bearded man on the side. "Lord Reeve! Why did I have to fight her?!"

He gave a light chuckle and crossed his arms. "Because, Yuffie. You know how demons are. Once they start to fight, there's no holding them back. I just wanted to test how well Tifa could fight against a demon who couldn't fight back, no matter how much they wanted to."

"Hmph!"

"Um…" Tifa turned to face her teacher. "What exactly is it about succubuses that makes them so weak?"

"Hey!" Yuffie jabbed a finger into Tifa's chest. "I'm not _weak!_"

Reeve chuckled softly. "Indeed. Succubuses specialize in superficial romance and curative resources. They're attack power is highly diminutive compared to that of other demons."

She blinked. "…Okay…"

He nodded. "Alright. You're excused for today. Go get yourself washed up and take the rest of the evening to yourself. Unlike vampires, necromancers actually sleep at night."

Tifa gave a light giggle and bowed. "Yes, Sir!"

……

Tifa made her way out of the women's public hot spring and sighed, stretching her back out after her third day in training. She paused abruptly when she noticed Cloud waiting right outside the door of the bath with his head bowed and arms crossed. Her hand found the door to the bath so she could slip back inside when his low voice spoke, "Tifa."

She turned and walked further into the hallway. "Cloud… We shouldn't… I don't want the punishment to be extended…"

"It's okay. I have Lord Reeve's, Aerith's, and Zack's permission to be here."

Her eyebrows knit together as she thought about that. "Um… Why?"

He sighed and, finally, raised his eyes to hers while pushing himself off the wall. "There's something… you should know."

She took a half-step closer, reaching out for his hand in an automatic attempt to comfort him. "What… What is it…?"

He nodded his head down the hall. "Not here. We have about eight hours to talk…"

"Eight?"

"They gave us twenty-four, but I couldn't find you."

"I was training all day. Lord Reeve was testing to see how well I could fight. So, um, where should we go?"

"Come on. Follow me." He tugged softly on her hand and pulled her down the hall.

They walked for a few minutes until Tifa whispered, "Um… Can we run? I'm getting a little restless walking…"

He grinned for a second. "I thought you'd never ask."

She giggled softly and turned, breaking into a full run. Despite her head start, she turned to see Cloud running along next to her. He turned mid-stride and ran backwards, bringing his hands up to lace his fingers behind his head. She laughed at him, feeling something in her chest warm up now that she was with him again.

He finally came to a stop and Tifa recognized the area's scent as the vampire district. Beneath that thick scent was an underlying layer of something that smelled like blood and sweat. Blood, sweat, and… tears? She grinded her fangs on her lower lip and asked, "Where are we?"

He reached out to push the door open. "My room. Is that okay?"

She nodded slowly. "I… guess…"

"Come on in. Excuse the mess."

She giggled. "I saw your room in the mortal realm. This can't be that bad."

He shrugged a little. "Yeah, but I had Zack to do my laundry there."

She bit down a laugh. "…Oh."

"Yeah. The bad part is that leather is deceptively easy to clean here."

"And you don't even wear shirts…" They walked inside and Tifa had to slap a hand over her mouth to hold in the weird, snort-like hiss sound she'd started making since growing fangs. The mess wasn't _that_ bad… It just looked as though he had a carpet of leather. "Do you lay your dirty laundry out to look like a carpet?"

He gave a chuckle as he wandered over to his bed and flopped down. "No… That's just the result of my crazy fits. I go through my room and drag my clothes out by my teeth. Aerith tried stopping me the first few times, but she gave up. Now she just laughs."

"Ooo-kaaayyy…"

"I'll explain in a minute." He patted the spot on the bed next to him. "Come here."

"Um… Cloud… That's not…"

"Don't worry, Tifa. We'll be fine as long as we keep our clothes on."

"Okay…" She slowly moved over and crawled up next to him, settling in against his arm as he stretched it out. He moved and pulled her against him until her head was resting on his bare chest. She froze for a moment before slowly shifting to get more comfortable.

He took a deep breath. "Tifa, I… This has never been easy for me to talk about, but I agree with Zack on this one. You should hear it from me."

She looked up at him to find him averting his eyes. "Cloud, I…"

"No, Tifa, I _have_ to tell you. You deserve to know."

"Okay. I'm listening."

"Thanks." He exhaled and played with the ends of Tifa's hair. "It's best to start with the beginning, I guess. Do you know anything about demon genetics yet?"

"Huh? Uh… no…"

He nodded slowly. "I'll give you brief summary real quick. This won't make any sense if you don't get this part."

"Okay…"

"Alright, so… Almost all demons are compatible with each other, if you know what I mean. Well, let's see… How do I explain? Um… When a child is born to two demons, it inherits only one of its parents' powers. Say if Zack and Aerith had a kid, it would be either a witch or a werewolf. It wouldn't be able to transform _and_ cast spells. It's also possible for a child to inherit its abilities from a grandparent, but that doesn't happen very often at all. On very, very, _very_ rare occasions, a child _can_ receive both parents' powers."

"Is that what happened with you? Part vampire, part… whatever has those fire spells?"

He sighed. "Kind of… Okay, so… My father was a vampire… Or at least, I think he was. I got my vampirism from his side, anyway. My mother…" He took a deep breath to calm himself. "My mother was a mortal."

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "What?"

"I'm half-mortal. I'm the first of my kind… Well, kids have been born between mortals and demons before, but I'm the first to have both sides. As you know from experience, mortal blood is laced with a gene that allows you to take on the powers of any demon blood ingested. There are other ways to gain their powers, but it varies on the breed."

"Cloud…"

"No one knew what to expect with me. My mixed blood has caused a lot of problems throughout the years and, since no one knew what was normal for me, they let me do as I pleased as long as it wasn't too much. Apparently, having sex with you was."

She blushed in spite of herself. "So… You're half-human? What's so bad about that? Aren't I technically half-human?"

"No. You're a vampire through and through except for one small detail. You blood still contains the gene that can imprint other demons' powers into your body. Be careful of whose blood you drink."

"Okay…" She nodded slowly. "Cloud…? You mentioned hating all humans… Why is that?"

He blinked and tightened his hold on her. "First off, you _have_ to know that, despite the fact that you used to be a mortal, I never thought of you the way I thought of all other mortals."

She snuggled in to get closer to him. "I know."

Cloud licked his lips and sighed. "Okay. I guess I'll just start at the beginning. My mother used to tell me about my father when I was kid… She never told me what he looked like, just that he was a 'strong man, sacrificing himself to serve his people.' I always assumed that meant that he was dead, but I never dwelled on it. He's a sick son-of-a-bitch who left us alone. Anyway, I was born in the mortal town called Corel."

"I've seen pictures in textbooks and on the internet… It didn't seem to be in great shape…"

"It wasn't always like that. It used to be a nice little town, just like any other. When I was born, a demon came and said that I appeared to be mortal. I guess the deciding point between whether I stayed with my mother or went to Orcus was whether or not I was a demon. So that demon said I looked mortal and left me with my mother. She raised me on her own, shunned by the rest of the town for bearing a strange man's child. Corel, you see, was very superstitious and they thought that sex out of wedlock was a truly horrendous thing."

"I guess what happened with my parents was kind of like what happened with you and me, but my mother took on my father's blood in a very different way. She conceived his child instead of becoming one of his kind, like you did. So, when I was born, they thought I was a mortal. I didn't show any signs of being anything else until I'd started going to a mortal school. Once there, the other kids started making fun of me for not having a dad. They mocked me, beat me up—I was always on the small side—threw mud at me, whatever. Gradually, I felt a growing…" He fisted his free hand in thought as he spoke, "darkness… growing inside of me. It was threatening to explode and all I could do was bite it down."

"One day, I noticed my teeth seemed longer… They quickly turned into fangs, but I kept them hidden, too scared to give the other kids more stuff to make fun of me about. I didn't even tell my mother. One day, during recess at school, one of those kids called my mother a whore. Keep in mind, they were only seven. I was six and I didn't really know what a whore was; I just knew it was bad. I leapt forward and, on instinct, I bit the lead kid. That was the first time I'd tasted blood in my life."

"I just remember coming back to my senses in the school nurses office. To say she was spooked was an understatement. That old bag looked like she thought I would shoot lasers out of my eyes and blow her head off. I was sent home after being given a clean bill of health. After that incident, my mother started to teach me herself. I forgot all about the grade system until I went back to the mortal realm at the beginning of this year."

"I was fine, or as fine as one like me could be, until the year I was nine. I kept to the house all the time because the sunlight killed my eyes. My mother kept the lights down and often used a flashlight so she could see. She did so much for me… To make me feel comfortable. I wanted to do something special for her. Once the sun had set one day, I made my way through the town and tried to find my way to the nearby mountains so I could find some flowers and makes her a present. She always did love flowers…"

He shook his head. "I'm getting off-subject. On my way into the mountains, I ran into the same three kids who'd picked on me. By now, my reflexes had grown into that of an average nine-year-old vampire and I could move and be halfway to Midgar before they even knew I'd gone, but I stayed put. They went right back to their regular mocking and shit almost immediately. They called me a coward for running away and hiding with my mother."

He sank his head back into the pillow. "I don't even remember fully what happened after that. I just remember the taste of blood slipping down my throat and then thick hands grabbing hold of my arms. When I recovered a little, I found myself locked in a dog crate acting as a cage in the central square of town. I remember hearing two of the adults talking and they said that kid was dead… I'd drank so much of his blood that he technically bled out."

"They used me to lure my mother to the center of town. Once she got there, she screamed when she saw me in that fucking crate… I tried to get my hand through the bars; to try to reach her. Those mortals… Those ignorant… They tied her to the town flagpole as the mayor gave some bullshit speech about how their 'precious town had been cursed by the devil' and how they 'had to do their sacred duty to protect the rest of the world from us."

Tifa watched the pain flicker over his features as he recalled his haunted past. She felt the tears gliding down her cheeks and pressed her face into his bare chest to try to calm her hiccups. "C-Cloud…"

He bit back whatever emotions he was feeling and continued, "They set fire. They all packed up and left, setting the village on fire on their way out. I shoved against the crate as hard as I could… My mother, she… she burned… I watched her as she…"

She looked up at him see the small crystals drifting down from the corners of his eyes. She'd seen him cry before, but it was still a bit surprising for her to see how much of an effect his past had on him. Licking her lips once, she turned slowly and, unable to reach his lips, started to press light kisses to his chest. She pulled as close as she could to him when she felt his arm tighten around her.

His voice shook a little as he told the next part, "When I finally broke out of the crate, my mother was… Her body was burned beyond recognition. I… I didn't know what else to do. I ran through the fires and up into the mountains behind the town. There wasn't any grass or trees… Nothing for the fire to feed off of. I was clear once I got there."

"I wandered around, feeding off the blood of the native wolves for sustenance when I got hungry. I stayed there for a full week, watching the only home I'd known burn constantly. Finally, rain fell and doused the whole place. I wandered down, trying to find something I recognized. I stumbled across what used to be my house. I dug around, trying to find anything that I could keep to remind me of home. I didn't even try to find my mother… I knew… I knew there wasn't anything left to find. In the rubble of my house, I found this." He reached up and shifted his hand to take out his earring before setting it in Tifa's palm.

She looked at it more closely, examining the wolfish shape. "It's beautiful, Cloud…"

"My mother always kept it in a safe place. She said it belonged to my father. I hate the goddamn bastard, but since it was the only thing I could find to remember my mother, I kept it all these years."

"Cloud, when you… changed… a few days ago, you…"

"Yeah, that was one of my 'fits.' It happens when my mortal and immortal halves cross."

"I was wondering, but that wasn't what I was going to ask."

"Then what is it?"

"You… You said… You started screaming about someone… You shouted and said that it was all someone's fault that 'she' was dead… Was that…?"

"Probably. I never remember what happens during my moments, but I was probably referring to my mother and father. I always did blame him for abandoning us… If he hadn't left, maybe my mother wouldn't be dead…"

"Cloud…"

He shook his head. "Anyway. After I found this earring, I kept wandering. I stayed in the ruined town because I didn't know where else to go. After a couple days, a truck pulled up on the horizon and two people stepped out. I smelled something off about them right away, but I didn't know what."

"Demons?"

"Yeah… I hid from sight, watching to see what they would do. The woman turned right in my direction and said she knew I was there. She coaxed me out into the open and slowly bent to her knees in front of me. She said she knew what I was and that she could take me somewhere with others like me. I didn't trust her at all, but then the two of them showed me their powers. I didn't really have any choice but to believe them and they took me with them to Orcus."

"Who…? Were they…?"

"Yeah. That was Zack and Aerith. They brought me here and entered me into the training program. Every demon was wary of what I could do, so Aerith volunteered to teach me herself. Time passed and here I am."

"Cloud… I'm so… I don't know what to say…"

"Don't say anything… Just…"

"I'm here, Cloud… You're not alone anymore."

"I know. Oh, right… One more thing. I… I have the mortal gene. The gene that lets me absorb the powers of other demons and use them for my own. I bit a flare—a fire demon, if you will—when I was fourteen. I got his powers then. That's why I can use the fire like I do. That particular flare never got other it. He and I still fight now and then."

"Cloud…"

"Tifa… We still have another six-and-a-half hours to be together… Will you stay here with me?"

"Of course, Cloud… I'll always be here for you."

* * *

"_**The curse of his powers tormented his life  
**__**Obeying the crown was a sinister price  
**__**His soul was tortured by love and by pain  
**__**He surely would flee, but the oath made him stay…"  
**__**~Hand of Sorrow; Within Temptation**_

I thought these lyrics fit with this particular story arc. Anyway, so… That's the big secret(?)! Cloud's half-mortal and messed up because of it. I thought this chapter was going to turn out to be really long, but I guess it's just about the length of the longer average ones. I was going to add the next scene, but I thought this was a good stopping point.

Oh, and I'm going to make a habit out of asking a question at the end of each chapter, just 'cause I love to hear what you guys think is going to happen. So, this chap's question is… Who do you think is the flare that holds a grudge against Cloud?

-Valk


	13. Chapter 7: The Dawning of a New Day

Thanks to **kerapal bubbles, cloudlover2989, City of Dis **(Can I call you 'Dis'?)**, heyukai, CrImSoN-AnGeL666, snaps **(That's you, ohsnapples)**, V-Ninja, Lunie, mc, Thank u:), Hey, **and **7****th****-HartStrife-duh** for their reviews!

Well, here we go… Kind of a long chappie here… More of an info-giver-slash-filler chapter… That said, enjoy!

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Chapter 7  
**_**The Dawning of a New Day**_

_**Tifa**_

_Air…! I… I can't breathe!_

Tifa swam, trying to reach the surface of the water she found herself submerged in. Despite her newly received stamina, she found her muscles failing quickly as she searched in vain. _Where… Where's the top? I can't… I can't last much longer!_

"Tifa! Tifa!"

Her eyes snapped open as she looked up into the bright blue ones tinged with worry above her. She turned to the side and coughed up some water before turning back to Cloud. "Cloud…? What just happened?"

He sat back on his heels, a smile spreading on his face now that he saw she was okay. "Tifa…!"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Um… Care to explain why you're so happy when I just almost drowned in my sleep?"

He moved forward, tackling her down to the bed in a tight hug. "Tifa! This is so amazing!"

She shoved him back a little and brushed her sopping wet hair away from her face. "Again. Why?"

His smile dimmed a little, but still stayed as a toothy grin. "Because! You just had the first dream!"

"Forgive me if I'm more than a little confused," she said while reaching behind her to wring out her mid-back hair.

"Tifa, you don't get it?"

"No, Cloud, I don't."

"Well…" He scratched the back of his head. "You just had the first dream…"

"So you've said. First dream for what?"

"Uh… Okay, I have no idea how to explain this. Just let me know if it doesn't make sense at all, okay?"

"Okay…"

"Alright, so… When two demons are together, if you will, the five elemental spirits watch them. They decide whether or not those two demons would make a good match. Once they give their approval, they send it to us in the form of a dream. The water spirit just granted you its blessing! Sure, I still have to wait for it to bless me, but as it stands, it thinks I fit with you!"

She blinked. "Huh?"

"Okay, so the five elements—water, fire, thunder, wind, and earth—all govern the universe and everything in it. Where demons are concerned, they decide whether demons would be fair matches or not. This is important for us, since we live for a much longer period than humans, we have to make sure we'll be compatible for centuries. These spirits decide this. We can be in love now, but that doesn't mean we'll stay that way forever."

She raised a hand over her mouth and, knowing he wasn't drug-induced this time, asked, "Cloud… Did you just say…?"

His brow scrunched in thought. "Huh?"

"You just said… You said 'love'…"

He blinked. "I did?"

"Yeah… Um, did you…?"

He shifted forward on his knees a little and reached out to grab her shoulders. "Tifa, you know I like you and care about you and would kill anyone if they so much as looked at you wrong, right?"

"Um… I didn't know about the last one, but yes."

"Tifa… I just… I was being general. I wasn't necessarily referring to us. I mean, I really, really, really, like you right now, but it's too early to say if it's something more right now. But if I had to say, yes, I do see us as companions in the future."

"Cloud, I…" She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him. "Really?"

He returned the embrace, pulling her tightly to him. "Yeah… But I have to be honest. I have no idea what I can do or what I'm capable of, so…"

"So…?"

"So you should be on your guard at all times, even when it's just us together."

"Cloud… I'm not scared of you. I've seen you in your triple F and you only really scared me when you seemed like you might attack when you saw me and Zack."

His eyebrows went up and he leaned back. "Say what now?"

"Oh! Not like that! He just pulled me to him to shield me when you blew the door out. Noting happened like that!"

"Good." He pulled her to him again and buried his nose in her hair. "Because you're _mine,_ Tifa. No one else's."

"Um, Cloud… That's a little—"

"Just as I'm yours." He snorted a sound of contentment. "I can't even imagine what kind of mess I'll be after a month, let alone two months, of being away from you."

……

Tifa leapt gracefully to the side to dodge a fireball as it flew towards her. _Gah! Lord Reeve said I was ready to start fighting some of the magic-based demons, but this is crazy!_

She bent down before jumping to the side and ducking another flame. The tingling sensation started in her fingers and moved up her arm as she shifted her right hand into its claw-like state. After dodging another strike, she pounced forward and raked her claws at the brown-haired man's face. She missed completely and landed in a crouch, looking up at her opponent to see him draw a long, silver, blade-like weapon out of thin air.

Her master's voice rang out, "Alright, that's enough!"

Tifa slowly rose to her feet and, keeping her eyes on her foe, bowed towards him. "Thank you for training me."

He crossed his arms and turned away. "Whatever."

A dark-haired girl came forward and pulled on his arm. "Squall! Be nice! She's new to Orcus!"

He gave her a cross look as he flourished his blade, making it disappear into nothing again. "Honestly, Rinoa, that girl is Strife's. Why in the hell would I want to welcome her?"

Rinoa sighed. "Squall, you're way too stubborn for your own good! You just need to get over your little rivalry. So he bit you! Get over it!"

"Rin, you know as well as I that drinking a demon's blood is one of the worst ways to violate someone. To top it off, he had that fucking human gene that made him steal my powers!"

"Geez… You're horrible."

"Just promise me you won't go near her. Anything to do with Strife is bad news."

Tifa simply watched their interactions for a moment before reaching her hand out towards Squall. "Um… You're the one who…? I'm Tifa."

He didn't even look at her as he spoke to the raven-haired girl. "Rin, promise me."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Squall. I'm seventy years older than you. I think I have a better idea of what's good for me. Go on. Cool off. I'll be fine."

Squall grunted and turned for the door without another word. Rinoa turned to Tifa and smiled brightly. "Don't mind him. He's a grumpy guy until you get to know him."

Tifa blinked for a moment and pointed to herself stupidly. "Um, are you talking to me?"

"Yeah. I'm Rinoa Heartilly. I'm a witch. I learned under Lady Aerith."

Tifa held her hand out. "I'm Tifa Lockhart. I guess you know… I'm a vampire…"

She giggled. "Yeah, I know. I also know you're involved with Cloud and that he's the one who got you here."

Tifa scratched the back of her head. "Good news travels fast, huh?"

Rinoa shook her head. "No, Squall just has an unhealthy fetish with keeping up with every detail of Cloud's life. The two were both the most arrogant, introverted, taciturn-ish demons in Orcus. They were bound to either hate each other or be the best of friends." She raised her hands in exasperation. "I guess it was the first one."

"Cloud's never mentioned anyone named Squall…"

She twisted her forefinger in her hair. "He hasn't?"

"No…"

"Did he mention getting his flare powers from anyone?"

"Um, yeah, he did mention that."

"That'd be Squall. The guy's hated Cloud ever since. They're both still young, though. Maybe they'll get over it in the future."

"Maybe…"

"So, how long have you been here?"

"Four days now."

"Mm. Want to bathe together later?"

Tifa's face paled and she started choking on her own spit. "Uh, what?"

Rinoa clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh! I completely forgot! That's not nearly as weird here in Orcus as it must've been in the mortal realm. All the baths are public depending on gender, so most friends just meet up in the springs…"

She clapped a hand over her heart. "Oh… Okay. That… Okay."

She turned and started for the door, moving at a pace to hint to Tifa to follow. "Yeah. I'm very straight and very happy with Squall."

"So you two are _together_ together?"

"Yep! Well, not quite companions yet, but we've each had three of the five dreams, so we're well on our way."

"I think… I had the water dream last night…"

She stopped in her tracks and faced the other woman. _"Really? _That's impressive! How long have the two of you known each other?"

"Um… Just about ten days, give or take."

"Wow! That's amazing! The two of you must be, like, perfect for each other! The fire spirit has yet to bless either of us, but I've gotten earth and Squall's had thunder."

"How exactly do these dreams work…? I mean, can someone die from them?"

"Not often. I think, as far as history goes, only two people have died from them; one from water, one from fire."

"I see…"

"It's nothing to be afraid of. The odds are in your favor."

"So… Can I ask how old you are? I mean, you said Squall was seventy years younger… Isn't that a harsh difference in age?"

She laughed. "I'm a hundred and twenty. And while seventy might seem like a large gap to a mortal, it's really nothing to a demon. You and Cloud are incredibly rare to be so close in age. Lady Aerith and her companion, Zack Fair, are over eight hundred years apart."

"Really?! I-I didn't know…"

"They're a rarity, too, though. Most demons don't live beyond six hundred years, but Lady Aerith passed the thousand-year marker. She's quite the respected one."

"I see… She always did seem like she knew a lot more than it seemed."

"Mm. That's the truth of it! She's earned so much respect among other breeds that the magic-based ones have started to show her some of their abilities. She's the only witch who can cast Black Magic."

"Black what?"

She held a hand loosely over her mouth and giggled. "Black magic. It's the form of elemental magic. Among demons, it's practiced by flares, titans, flashes, tides, and gales. Flares being the fire demons, titans being earth, flashes being thunder, tides being water, and gales being wind. Make sense?"

"I guess so… It'll probably take some time before I remember that, though."

"That's okay. You'll get the hang of it eventually. There's also white magic, but only witches can cast select spells of that category. White is the curative-style spells. We can only cast quick, on the run healing spells. Just quick fixes on the battlefield. Anything else and you'll need a succubus. Clerics of the gods are masters of white magic, though. Them and priests."

"Okay…"

"Green magic is mostly what witches cast. Spells to alter the natural way of life. Sleep, poison, blind, stop; so on and so forth. We also have teleportation spells, too."

Tifa touched a hand to her head. "Wow… I never thought there would be so much to magic…"

"And _then…_"

"There's _more?_"

"Only one more. Blue magic."

"What's that?"

"Blue magic is the ability to learn other spells by taste. Essentially, all humans are blue mages."

"Huh… So, I'm a blue mage?"

"Yep! In the beginning, before humans were really populant, they were referred to as blue mages because they could learn the abilities of any demon or god. They were special. That's where the term 'blueblood' comes from. You'll probably hear a few demons refer to you or Cloud as a blueblood, so don't take it personally. It's actually a respectful term for your gift."

"So I should be thankful if someone calls me that?"

"It's nothing to say 'thank you' about, but you should show some humility and kindness towards anyone who addresses you like that."

"Alright. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for telling me all this."

She beamed. "That's what friends are for, right?"

……

Tifa fidgeted as she made her way down the caverns, following her nose to the desired destination. She paused in front of the door where the scent was strongest and took a deep breath before knocking. The door shifted open and the brunette poked her head out, smiling when she saw Tifa. "Oh, hello! What brings you here?"

Tifa grinded her fangs on her lip and fiddled with her hands a little before replying, "Hi, Aerith… I was hoping you had a minute to talk…"

"Of course! Zack is out with Cloud right now, so I have plenty of time. Come in, come in!"

Tifa slowly walked inside and looked around at the cozy room decorated with a variety of rugs and figurines that looked to be from the mortal realm. Aerith moved over towards an oversized cauldron on the side with bubbling green contents and a bright flame burning beneath it. She gestured vaguely towards a chair as she picked up a wooden spoon and stirred the green goo before raising the spoon and tasting it. Her face formed a grimace as she stirred it a little more and set the spoon down, walking a few steps closer to Tifa before casually summoning a fire spell and throwing it into the flames already burning beneath the pot.

Tifa watched as she smiled and faced her, walking over to take a seat opposite her. "So, tell me. What's on your mind?"

The younger girl fidgeted again before slowly raising her gaze to Aerith's. "Um, it's just… I think…"

"Hm? You can tell me."

"I… I missed a period. It's been six weeks since Cloud and I… Uh, you know. I…" She looked up with tears in her eyes. "What if I'm pregnant? What if when Cloud and I…?"

Unable to take it anymore, she buried her face in her hands as she broke down into tears. A snort escaped the other woman and she looked up in shock. "Aerith! This isn't funny! What if-?"

Aerith pressed her fingertips to her lips to try to silence her laughs. "Tifa, you're not pregnant."

"But how do you know? I missed my period! It's almost a month late!"

"Tifa, lest you forget, you're not human anymore. Demons don't have the same physical cycles as mortals. If you were to look between the inner make-up of a demon—any one—and compare it to a mortal, you'll see so many differences. The point is, you'd be in a lot of pain by now if you were pregnant. For any other information on specific vampire anatomy, you'd have to consult with a succubus."

……

She made her way through the common area with a bottle full of her meal for the next week and paused by a table where another girl sat. "Um, excuse me? Can I join you?"

The girl looked up and shot back, "Can you? Or are you incapable?"

"Look, Yuffie, I know vampires and succubuses are supposed to hate each other, but I wasn't always a vampire. I think we could be great friends if we took the time."

She glanced down at her dish of mint-colored soup and sighed. "You know, I liked you the first time we met. I don't think your little blond failure will be too keen on us being friends, though."

"It doesn't matter what he thinks. Cloud can hate you, but that doesn't mean we have to hate each other. I'm not Cloud."

Yuffie gave a little smirk. "Gutsy, ain't ya? You do know Cloud's killed before, right?"

She looked down at her bottle. "I know. He killed a man before my eyes. And he told me he's killed in the past, too. If you're implying that he'd kill me if I befriend you, you're crazy."

"You never know. I've known him for eight years. The guy's not very stable."

"Cloud wouldn't hurt me, no matter what state he was in. I've seen him at every turn, I think."

"If ya say so. Pull up a seat."

"Thanks!" Tifa moved to sit down on the stone bench on the opposite side of the table from Yuffie. "So, um…"

"'Um'… What?"

"I don't know… I'm just not sure of what to say."

She grinned around her spoon. "You know it's bad when you beat a succubus to the sack."

Tifa blushed a deep shade of scarlet. "Um, what?"

"I've never had sex. My teacher says I'll get to it soon enough, though."

"I thought it was forbidden for any demon who wasn't companionated?"

"With the exception of succubuses. Any man can come to us for sex if they want to, companionated or no. We can be blamed for getting in the middle of a relationship, though. A guy wants sex, we'll give it to him!"

The brunette fidgeted awkwardly. "But, um, Cloud's never…?"

"Hell, no. The boy wouldn't even ask a succubus for directions, let alone sex."

"I see…"

"You are sixteen, right?"

"Seventeen two weeks ago. Why?"

"I'm sixteen. The youngest demon right now!"

"Um, congratulations?"

Yuffie let out a cackle. "You're hilarious!"

Tifa blinked. "Huh…?"

_**Cloud**_

Hell, yeah! Only one more day of this asinine punishment! I can actually see and hear and kiss Tifa again tomorrow! Yeah!

"Hey! Snap out of it! You still have one more day!"

Damn it, Zack. It's just one more day… Can't you let a guy daydream? I sit up from my place on the floor. "Fine. What's next?"

Zack grins. "Well, you've done surprisingly good with your concentration lessons. As a vampire, I knew you'd do fine with all the physical tests."

"And…?"

"Well… You know, I think I'll give you the rest of the day off. You can go torment yourself about being so close to seeing Tifa."

But I can just sniff her out and-

"And don't even think about staying around the corner from her!"

Damn it.

He walks off, waving over his shoulder. "I'll see you in two days. I'll let you and Tifa have a day off to catch up."

I can't help but grin and call after him, "Thanks, Zack!"

Now, time to find some way to keep myself busy for another sixteen hours… I could go hit up the atrium and kick some ass… Nah… Maybe I'll go run the gauntlet… Get some training in. No, I can't do that without Zack's permission. It sucks being a student. I could get some sleep, but I'm not really tired…

My ears perk up at the sound of footsteps and the smell of vampire approaching and I turn, finding myself face-to-face with… "Nero."

He gave a casual shrug. "Good day, Strife."

I cross my arms and lean back against a pillar. "I haven't seen you in awhile. How'd it go? Did you watch out for her?"

He nodded. "I aided her where I could. She is a smart girl; a quick learner. You should consider yourself lucky to have wound up in bed with such an inspiring young lady over that of a substantial twit."

I can't help the goofy grin that crosses my face at the thought of her. I snap back to our conversation and say, "So… What has she been up to?"

"You know I can't say. It's a part of your punishment to know nothing of her for two months. However, I will say that she seems to have gained an odd group of friends."

Now I'm curious. My eyebrow raises. "Who?"

"Rinoa Heartilly and Yuffie Kisaragi."

My other eyebrow mirrors the first. What the…? Of all the… I mean, Rin's not bad, but _Yuffie…?_ Come on! "Seriously?"

He nods. "Of course. They've been meeting up for the last two weeks. I can't say I condone, but I'm not the one that matters. I have to admit, though, I'm curious to see how you handle this."

I told her to stay away from that little fucker! I can't believe she'd go behind me like this! What the hell?! I'm gonna have a good, long talk with her tomorrow…

"I'd advise that you keep this from conquering your thoughts. You don't want to approach her on the wrong foot, do you?"

Crap. Nero, the smartass. But let's see… Option one: I could go up to her, confront her about why she's befriended a succubus—Yuffie, no less—or, option two: I could go up to her and suck her lips off for a good three hours or so.

Gee. Really hard to decide, huh?

Oh, shit. I still have hours before I can see her… Maybe I'll go sit in my room and fantasize about her… God, is she beautiful…

_**Tifa**_

Tifa sat in the common area, sketching a picture in a sketchbook while talking with her friends, Rinoa and Yuffie. The two of them had their breakfasts, but Tifa had just drank some blood three days ago and wasn't hungry at all.

Rinoa snorted a laugh as Yuffie recounted one of her many mishaps during training. "Oh, my God… I can't believe you made a love potion instead of a Zodiac tonic! I mean, how did you mix _those_ two up?"

"I know, right? I mean, duh! By the way, girls, I still have that love potion if either of you want to abuse it. It's forbidden for succubuses to use them. We're only allowed to screw guys if they want it or if we're companionated. No cheating allowed."

Tifa blinked. "I don't get the potion mix-up…"

Rinoa covered her mouth to try to slow her laughter. "Well, you see, love potions and Zodiac tonics are made of completely different ingredients. Not one thing is used in both. And they use entirely different measurements, too. It's almost impossible to mix them up."

"Well, you see," Yuffie jumped in to justify herself, "if you mix so much osish with a little too much fresemane and it comes out almost _exactly_ like atly!"

Rinoa explained, "Atly is the key component of a love potion and osish and fresamane are in a Zodiac tonic."

Tifa nodded slowly. "I see… I think…"

Rinoa looked up and to her right. "Uh-oh. Incoming."

The brunette girl cocked an eyebrow. "Huh?"

Yuffie followed Rinoa's gaze and grinned. "Glad I'm on this side of the table with Rin."

Tifa turned to look, but fell backwards as a weight slammed into her and knocked her clean off the bench. "Wah!" she screamed in surprise as she fell back, taking a moment to register her attacker's bright blue eyes.

He sat above her, one knee on either side, and wasted no time in pressing his lips to hers. She reacted on instinct and threw her arms over his shoulders, blushing when she heard her friends' wolf whistles. Her lungs started to ache from not breathing, so she flailed her arms to try to get him to pull back. He moved only a few centimeters from her face, grinning like a child. "My punishment is officially over right now. You have no idea how glad I am to see you, Tifa."

She smiled up at him, slowly shifting her hands to hold his. "I have a general idea, Cloud."

Another voice sounded from above them. "Oh, fuck. This is really what I needed in the morning. So much for breakfast."

Cloud leaned down to kiss Tifa again, ignoring the newcomer while Rinoa's voice chastised, "Squall! Be nice!"

"I'm being honest. That's a really nauseating sight first thing in the morning."

"Only because it's Cloud. If you and I were in that position, you'd be happy as a lark."

"I wouldn't fly in and knock you to the floor. I'm gentlemanly enough to at least let you stay on your feet while I kiss you."

Cloud finally pulled away from Tifa and looked at Squall. "You know, _that_ is some nauseating info right before bed."

Tifa reached up and grabbed hold of his duster strap running over his shoulder and pulled him back down to her. He complied without complaint and met her lips again, much to the complaint of two of the three demons present. The third one just laughed and swatted her boyfriend over the back of the head.

* * *

Okay, first off, I love Squall. I really do (Though Cloud comes first…). I've had the itch to write more FF8 lately, but I just can't bring myself to start another story right now… Oh, and those of you who might not know, Squall's last name is 'Leonhart' and some characters will likely be referring to him as such. Just giving a little note here so no one's confused.

Second, while this was a pretty long chapter, I wanted to get this part all cleared up. I was hoping to be at this point four chapters ago… Anyway, we'll have an actual plot in the next chapter! Yay!

And this chapter's question… How many chapters will it take before Cloud and Tifa hit the sack(again)?

Please review!

-Valk


	14. Chapter 8: Time For One More Dream

Thanks to **mc, bubbles, HartStrife, heyukai, Dis, CL2989, snaps, Lunie, windlight, V-Ninja, **and** Trueflame** for your reviews! If you couldn't tell, I got lazy with typing your names every chapter :). It doesn't mean I appreciate your reviews any less! Think of it as a cute petname, okay? It means I really, really like you! Ask V-Ninja and Lunie!

As for your reviews themselves, a lot of you seemed to think Cloud and Tifa would go at almost immediately. For those of you think that, go re-read Tifa's and Aerith's conversation in Chapter 1. Not Prologue 1, Chapter 1. Technically Chapter 7 if you count the prologues as chapters.

Well, I'll just explain it here. I mean, it _has_ been awhile since then… Alright, so the gist of it is that demons cannot legally have sex until they are companionated (married). Cloud went against these laws and bedded Tifa anyway, thus getting her turned into a vampire, too. Upon returning to Orcus, he was punished for his actions. Does that make sense?

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Chapter 8  
**_**Time for One More Daring Dream**_

_**Cloud**_

Unh… What is that…? Stop it! Despite my internal complaints, the constant poking between my shoulder blades continues. Fine. I'll get up. You happy?

A voice sounds from above my head, "Actually, yes, I am."

Shit. I said that out loud, apparently. I push myself to a slightly inclined position—I'd been sleeping on my stomach—and look up at her. "Hey."

She smiles. "Hey. You know, I wouldn't care if you kept sleeping if you used a pillow instead of my breasts."

A cocky grin crosses my lips. "I can't help that your breasts are more comfortable."

Her hand comes up to slap me across the back of the head. "Cloud! You know, even if it has been five years, we're still not companionated…"

I sigh and roll over onto my back. "Yeah, I know. But I'm still waiting on the last dream."

She smiles and wiggles down the pillow to curl up next to me. "I've already had all five."

My arm instinctively wraps around her. "I know. But my last one should come soon enough."

A giggle slips through her lips as her fingers play across my abdominal muscles. I raise my eyebrow at her and she says, "I was just remembering what the fire dream did to you."

"We all remember that _you_ lost a foot of hair in the process!"

"You know, your blond hair looked nice with the singed black tips."

My eyes narrow as I stare down at her. "Tifa, my hair was singed for three months… until Leonhart finally cut part of it off in a sparring match."

"It's a damn shame, too. I liked the dark tips."

"I really didn't want to cut any of it, but I had to after that."

"Yeah, but it was kind of rough. The next time you go to the mortal realm, you should get it colored like that."

"Tifa…"

"What? You looked incredibly sexy with black-tipped hair."

"Tifa, I like my hair how it is. It's finally grown back after about four years."

"Oh, who would've thought? Cloud Strife, vampire, flare, and mortal, has a streak of vanity running deep in his heart!"

I twist around to pin her between my knees and dig my hands in her hair to keep her facing me. "Well, I don't see you running out to get those red streaks I mentioned."

"Black tips is one thing, red streaks are a whole different story."

"Oh, and now it's Tifa Lockhart, vampire and blueblood, who has a vain streak!"

"And then there's the fact that I haven't graduated yet… I still need Lord Reeve's approval to go topside."

"Don't worry… You'll get there soon enough." I grin and give her a playful wink. "I give it a year, tops."

_**Tifa**_

Tifa made her way down the caverns with a natural sway to her hips, knee-length braid swinging along behind her. She paused and smiled when she saw her good friend running down the opposite direction. "Hey, Rin! Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

The raven-haired girl halted only briefly as she said, "Lady Aerith and Lord Angeal are calling an emergency meeting of witches and artisans. It looks as though unrest is spreading among the gods and it's up to us to see what the full extent of the damage is."

"I see. I hope it's not too much…"

Rinoa looked down at her black boots for a moment. "I'm sorry, Tifa, but it looks like war is coming again."

"War…?"

"Yeah. It's my first one, too. I gotta run. See you later!" She turned on her heel and broke into a quick jog down the hallway.

Tifa watched her friend go for a moment before giving a sigh and letting her shoulders slump. A particular scent filled her nose and she let herself start to fall back, hitting into a warm body. "Cloud…"

His arms came up to wrap around her waist and pull her snug against him. "What's wrong, Tifa?"

"Rin… Rin said that war was coming."

"I figured as much. I could smell the tension in everyone."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to worry you if I was wrong."

"Cloud… We're just a hair away from being companions… Don't you trust me?"

"Tifa, you know I do. I'm a full-fledged demon… I'd be going to fight. You're still a student. You'd be stuck here. I just didn't want you to worry…"

She turned quickly to face him and buried her face in his shoulder. "Cloud, you can't-! I-!"

"Tifa, I'm a demon. I wasn't always. I lived my first nine years as a mortal. The demons here—especially Aerith—took me in as one of their own. I have to fight. I have to defend my home and you."

"Cloud, I can fight for myself. You don't have to defend me."

He raised his hand to brush over her hair as he said, "No, but I want to."

"Cloud…"

"Once I have the last dream, we'll be companionated. Before the war becomes too deep, we'll be bound together in body and soul."

She shifted her arms to embrace his waist. "Cloud… I want that more than anything, but I'm also gonna keep training… To see if I can graduate before then. I'm already twenty-two… I should have graduated by now!"

"Tifa, you didn't become a demon until you were sixteen, practically seventeen. You didn't get the basics as you grew. I didn't, either, but Zack seems to think my mixed blood helped me get up to the higher rankings quicker."

"But it's been three and a half years since you graduated!"

"Yeah, but I came here seven years earlier than you. Don't compare yourself to anyone, okay? Every demon is different."

"I know… I'm sorry."

"For what, Tifa?"

She shook her head against his shoulder. "It's nothing…"

"I don't think that's the case."

"Cloud, I… I'm just scared. War is a scary thing… People die…"

"Tifa…" His arms wrapped tighter around her middle and pulled her as close to him as he could. "I promise you, I won't be one of them. I have to live to come back to you, to live with you, to live as one with you. We'll make it through this. Together."

"I know… It's just… hard…"

_**Cloud**_

Damn it… I can't believe it's come down to this. Two months have passed and not a word. Not a fucking word from our 'all-powerful' Dominus. What is this war, some kind of sick game to him? Mortals are being slaughtered by the gods and he does nothing! Nothing!

Cool fingers graze over my arm and I turn, relaxing slightly when I see the warm red shade of Tifa's eyes. God, I have no idea how I'd be sane without her. I give her a quick smile before turning and walking in the direction of the _Magnus Aditus _again.

We arrive in the oversize room and it's already packed with demons. The breeds that can are either floating high up or clinging to the walls to make more room for others. I grab hold of Tifa's wrist and pull her through the crowd, pushing my way to the front. I step up onto the raised ledge and pull her up next to me. She stays on the side while I move up to stand right in front of the _Magnus Aditus_ itself.

I raise my right hand and extend it out to the crowd in a sweeping, dramatic gesture. "Demons of Orcus! I have asked you here today to heed my words! Surely you all have heard? The gods run rampant over Gaia—the mortal realm—and yet our precious Dominus does nothing! Do you not see what is _wrong_ here?"

A couple of shouts sound from the crowd and I can only hope they're approval. My eyes shift over the gathering and fall on two demons in the very back. Aerith and Zack. I wonder what's going through their minds right now? I wonder if they're proud of me or angry. Judging by the look on Aerith's face, I'd say she's angry.

I clear my throat and continue, still far from done with what I have to say. "I have asked three artisans to come up and activate the _Magnus Aditus_ to show all you the massacre of the mortal realm." I sneak a glance at Tifa to see her looking at her boots. She's seen this before, but… "Biggs, Wedge, Jessie?"

The three of them nod and move over towards the gate, raising their hands up to touch the runes that only the artisans can activate. I make my way over and stand beside Tifa, slowly slipping my hand around hers. The gate activates with a live view of the mortal realm. I don't—can't—look, so all I hear are the blood-curdling screams of humans. It's a difficult thing to witness when half of who you are is like them.

The three of them cut the image short and I pause, taking a moment to collect myself before walking forward again. "Now, then. Do you see?! Do you see what the gods are doing to Gaia? To our neutral turf?! Tell me, brother and sister demons, is this acceptable?!"

I wait as a mild shout—not nearly as loud as I'd hoped—sounded out with, "Hell, no!"

"Then why stand here and do as he says?! We have the power! If we fight together, we can make a difference without the Dominus! If we let the gods have their way with the mortal realm, they'll gain ultimate power over us! We can save Gaia and save our own people!" I fist my hand in affirmation as I shout, loudly and clearly through the large room, "Will you fight with me?!"

I stand in silence, facing a quiet room. Slowly, one hand rises. Wouldn't you know it? Yuffie floats straight up out of the crowd and up to the stage before saying, "As much as I hate vampires, you got the right idea, Spike. I'll fight with you."

Almost immediately after that, Rinoa raised her hand, paused, and grabbed Leonhart's wrist before raising his hand, too. She shoved her way to the front, never letting go of her little flare as she dragged him up to the raised platform. Various other demons followed quickly, mostly vampires at first before other breeds quickly followed.

I felt a small smile cross on my lips at the turn-out. It wasn't nearly as many as I'd hoped, but it was still plenty. We have a start, anyway.

_**Zack**_

He stood in the back of the room beside his companion, watching as demon after demon moved up to stand beside the lost half-mortal boy he'd known as a son. What he was doing was well against what the Dominus and the council had dictated, yet Zack couldn't stop himself from agreeing with his methodology. The boy's words over the past few years rang loudly in his ears as he watched him fight against the council for what he thought was right.

"_Why do you always do as she says?"_

"_What the hell are you getting from following your companion everywhere? I don't get it."_

"_You only do what she says because it's law? Not having sex before being companionated was law and that didn't stop me."_

"_God, you're so lost. I mean, I love Tifa, I know I do, but you don't see me following her around or her following me. We're separate people even if we do love each other."_

Zack had replied to that with, _"But it's different… You both have human sides that can understand this concept…"_

Only now, he realized, it wasn't that different. He and Cloud had both been through various roller coasters in their lives. They'd both fallen in love with women who were well beyond their reach, yet they were still lucky enough to have them return their feelings. They'd both witnessed their mothers' deaths, but they still went on strong. They'd both been foolish and young when they'd met the women who would—no doubt—become their companions. Yet as Zack watched the boy sacrificing his beliefs and taking a chance to speak out against the Dominus, he realized the reckless boy had become quite the righteous man when he hadn't noticed.

He turned slowly to glance at his companion briefly before facing back towards the stage and raising his hand. Aerith turned to gape at him in shock, managing to say, "Zack…? I don't believe this…"

He shook his head slowly. "Aerith, I can't do this anymore. Yes, I love you, but I'm not your slave. You've earned all the respect you have here, but you still treat me like some sort of pet! You drag me everywhere, you walk on me when you don't have anything better to do, and you sweet-talk me when it benefits you."

"But, Zack, it's the council's law that-"

"Exactly. The council. Everything is always with the council. I know you approve of the current Dominus's method of ruling, but enough is enough! He's messing up our people, Aerith! I won't sit by quietly and watch as he brings on the downfall of Orcus and her demons."

He started to walk away, locking his jaw as he heard her call out behind him, "Zack! Come back here!"

_**Cloud**_

I watch as multiple demons made their way towards me and blink as Zack made his way up through the crowd. Wait. What's he doing? He's companionated to Aerith, the oldest and wisest demon currently alive… Why in the hell would he fight against the Dominus…?

He hopped up onto the stage easily and made his way over to me. Is he here to call this off? I instinctively brace myself to fight, but he just stops in front of me and grins, raising one arm in front of him. I can't help but grin back and bump my arm against his, using muscle but not all of it. I mean, seriously. He may be a werewolf, but vampires are still on top for muscles.

He shifts to stand over next to Tifa and grins like a little kid. She smiles back weakly and glances up as Aerith turns to leave. As much as I love her like a mother, I can't worry about her feelings right now. I have bigger things to take care of. I mean, I _am_ kind of leading a revolt right now…

……

An hour later, I sit on my bed with Tifa next to me. Zack sits sprawled out on the floor, Rinoa in one of my chairs, Leonhart leans against the wall next to her, and Yuffie floats around, scanning all the random stuff on my shelves.

I keep one arm around Tifa's should and raise the other to scratch the back of my head. "So… Now what?"

Zack grins from his place on the floor. "You're the leader. You tell us."

I point a finger at him. "Hey, I asked you, Tifa, and Rin here to see if you had any ideas. Yuffie and Leonhart just followed."

Squall pushes himself off the wall and motions for his gunblade. "I wasn't letting Rinoa come here alone."

I shrug, his annoying behavior no longer bothering me. "I understand. Geez. I just don't get why Yuffie's here."

Rin's little flare hides his blade and leans back again as Yuffie shoots forward. "Hey! I wanna kill the gods just as much as you do!"

"I never said you didn't. I think those other three hundred demons that joined up feel the same. But this is supposed to be a discussion with the demons I trust the most—Leonhart excluded."

He grunts a sound of distaste as Rinoa and Tifa start giggling and Yuffie pouts. Zack gives a chuckle of his own as he drops back on the stone floor. "This is more entertaining than I thought it would be."

I can't help but facepalm. "Zack… Can we focus, please?"

Tifa wiggles out of my hold and smiles at me. "I have to meet with Lord Reeve. I have a lesson in ten minutes."

Rinoa looks up in surprise. "He's still teaching you?"

She shakes her head in a shrug. "I don't know. I don't think he can refuse until the council figures out how to handle this."

I reach out and grab her wrist, tugging her closer for a kiss before saying, "All past revolts have been snuffed out almost immediately in the past."

Her eyes widen. "_What?_"

"But there's never been one involving more than fifteen demons, let alone three hundred. It'll be interesting to see how they handle this." My fingers touch her chin softly. "Are you ready to fight if necessary? Do you want me to go to your lesson with you?"

She shakes her head. "No, I'll be okay. Thanks, though, Cloud."

I jump up to my feet. "Too bad. I'm coming, anyway. I'd never be able to forgive myself if I didn't and something happened."

* * *

So… Now we have a five-year jump! Did all that make sense to you? Let me know, please!

Who do you think the Dominus is?

Review?

-Valk


	15. Chapter 9: So Toll Now the Funeral Bells

My apologies for disappearing on you. My aunt passed away last Wednesday on April 14, 2010. I had to leave town for a week to prepare for and attend her funeral. Please, those of you who believe, say a prayer for her. Those of you who don't, please take your time to honor her. She was a fantastic aunt and a wonderful craftswoman. I still have a tiger pillow and a travel jewelry pouch she made for me.

This chapter is dedicated to my Aunt Liz. I know you're in a better place, but it doesn't make your sudden departure much easier to handle.

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Chapter 9  
**_**So Toll Now the Funeral Bells**_

_**Cloud**_

Tifa and I walk down the hall towards the atrium. We head through the doors to find Lord Reeve waiting there, turning to greet her with a smile as she approaches. He nods a greeting in my direction while I stay flush at Tifa's side. "Hello, there, Cloud. What brings you here today?"

I shrug my bare shoulders casually, the only hint that I'm really pissed being the dark shade of blue that I knew my eyes glimmered. "Just want to watch Tifa and see where she's at."

Reeve's smile only becomes more patronizing. "Stop that, Cloud. We both know full well why you're here."

"Fine. So I want to be here to stop you in case you try to use Tifa to get me to stop this revolt."

"Do you honestly think we'd have to stoop that low?"

"Well, it would be a helluva lot easier than killing three hundred of your own people."

"That is true, but I wouldn't dare hurt my own student."

"Well, until Tifa graduates, I'll be coming here to make sure nothing happens."

"So be it." He turns to Tifa. "Shall we get started, then? Perhaps Cloud would like to be your sparring partner since he's already here?"

_**???**_

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Quite. It's time the boy learned who he really is."

"But he's still a child! Can't you wait until the next war if you must go about it this way?"

"He has a strong sense of charisma. Despite his introverted exterior, people flock to him when asked."

"I know that! But I still think this is too early…"

"Thank you for your opinion. You know I do value it."

"But do I even need to mention the slaughter you've caused? What Cloud said at his speech was true… You're letting the gods have their way."

"It's only a ruse to ignite his spite. If things get too critical, I will take action."

_**Tifa**_

Tifa knelt over Cloud on his bed, her hands digging deep in his hair while her lips trailed over his jaw. His arms came up around her and settled on her hips, fingernails dipping past her waistline to play at the skin there. He lifted his hips off the mattress to show her how much he was enjoying her attentions, causing her to pull back slightly.

With ragged breath, she panted, "Cloud… You know we can't…"

He dropped back to the bed and reached out, slowly pulling her closer for one more kiss before saying, "I know… I just got carried away. I'm sorry…"

She sighed once and sat back on her heels. "Should I leave you alone to take care of that?"

Releasing a slight groan of distaste, he rolled his head back in the pillow. "That's probably a good idea."

She smiled playfully and hopped off the bed. "Only one more dream, Cloud…"

He sighed in annoyance. "I know… Just that thunder dream… I can promise you, I'll tell you the second I have it."

"Good. You know I can't wait for us to be companionated." She reached out and took his hands, slowly pulling him to his feet before pressing a kiss to his lips. "I love you."

He swallowed the lump in his throat, still feeling the urge to throw her down on the bed and taste all of her for the second time in their lives. "Tifa…" he started slowly and then paused, raising his eyes to meet hers. "That's the first time you've said that, isn't it?"

She nodded shyly. "We've never had to say it… We've always just _known…_ But I felt I had to tell you now."

"Tifa… I love you, too."

"I know. But I, uh, I'll let you go, then. I promised Rin and the others I'd meet them for lunch."

"Alright," he said as he watched her leave. "Be careful out there."

"I will!" She smiled back at him before pulling the door closed behind her.

_**Cloud**_

I sit at my desk, trying to figure out how the hell to bring our numbers from three hundred to, well, more than that. I can feel the tension spiking through me and I really wish Tifa would get back from her lunch… She always makes me feel better just by touching me. Ah, well. I'll live.

Maybe.

Anyway, recruiting options… I have no idea. I could pull another rally, but I said just about all I have to say at the first one. Hmm… Wait!

The sound of my chair falling back as I jump to my feet sounds behind me and I snap my fingers, trying to figure out if my idea will work or if it's just suicide. Should I…? I'll talk it over with Tifa when she gets back.

Heh. The door opens just then and I can't help the grin on my face. Lucky me. Speak of the demon… Oh, for the love of…

Zack walks in with a grin. "Heya, Cloud! Oh, good. I'm not interrupting anything personal. What's up?"

I can't help the scowl on my face. I should seriously start spending the night in Tifa's room… Ever since I let Zack start sleeping on my floor, life just hasn't been peaceful… I guess it is kind of my fault that his companion kicked him out… I'll just grin and bear it. I roll my eyes and answer, "Nothing, really. I just had an idea I wanted to discuss with Tifa."

He drops down onto the rug he'd claimed as his bed. Good thing he has a dog side or I think I'd be feeling kind of guilty… He gives a huge yawn and asks, "Is this something personal, or something pertaining to Operation: Dethrone the Dominus?"

"The latter. Why?"

"I'm your unofficial deputy! Tell me!"

I swear. He's like a kid in a two-hundred-and-fifty-year-old body. "Since when are you my deputy?"

"I said 'unofficial,' Cloud. Now tell me your idea!"

I walk over and drop down on my bed. "Fine. I'll bounce it off you first."

He grins and sits up. "What is it?"

"I just had the idea, so I don't really know details yet, but I was thinking about challenging the Dominus."

He sits with a blank expression for a long moment. "…To what?"

Isn't it obvious? "To a battle over his title."

His obliviousness quickly transitions to panic. "No, Cloud. Just no. I know I really haven't been the most fatherly figure to you, but listen to me. You're still just a kid, really. You don't have the strength to fight."

"Zack, look, I appreciate-"

"No, Cloud, you don't. Unlike battles for council positions, the one for the Dominus's place is to the death."

I swallow the quickly forming lump in my throat. So much for telling Tifa. She'd kill me, hang me by my toes, manage to find a way to bring me back from the dead, beat the crap out of me like a punching bag, and then kill me again. "So, you're saying…?"

"Yeah. You wouldn't just be putting your pride on the line. You'd be risking your whole life. Yours and Tifa's life. Think about that. You told me you love her and that she loves you. Can you really put all that at risk for the chance to save Orcus? Don't just say 'yes' like it's the most obvious answer. Think about it. Could you really break Tifa's heart like that?"

I drop back on my bed and slap a hand over my eyes. Damn you, Zack. Since when do you have all this good advice? Where was it during the last fourteen years? I mean, if I'd had a stronger father-figure to teach me, maybe Tifa would still be living a happy life as a mortal.

"Kid, stop thinking like that. You know she's happy to be here with you."

What the fuck?! How the hell'd he know what I was thinking?!

"Because I'm that good. And watch your language."

"Okay, Zack. That's just getting creepy."

He grins. "And you thought I didn't have any sense of seriousness. As you've probably noticed, I'm a badass people-reader. I've known for years that you have the potential to be the Dominus, but I don't know if you have the ability now…"

I sigh. Maybe I should hit up the atrium and the gauntlet and fine-tune my skills. I wonder if Zack'll help me get into the higher levels of the gauntlet. If he still can. I mean, he was kicked out of his room by his companion, one of the council members…

"I can try, Cloud."

Okay, that's it. "Will you stop that?! It's fucking creepy!"

He makes a face as he mocks me, "And your language is fucking terrible! Where'd you learn to talk like that, anyway? I mean, you've gotta have the worst mouth in Orcus. How does Tifa put up with you?"

"Well…" I look away for a moment. "The thing is… I don't talk like that around her…"

"Heh. I shoulda known…"

"Why? You got something to say about it?"

"No, I'm just amazed at how you can be so jerk-ish to everyone around you and then turn and be a sweet little Mr. Perfect to one woman."

I raise an eyebrow. "Perfect? You think I'm _perfect?_"

"Geez… I'm kidding… Calm down, pup."

"Pup?"

"I'm a werewolf. We call all our young 'pup.' You're the next best thing. Take it as a compliment."

"Okay…"

"Anyway, I wouldn't dare go near the Dominus. You can't fight him yet."

"Well, then, will you?"

"Nah. I can't. I'm worse off than you. Sure, I'm good compared to most of the gods, but I'm still nothing compared to the Dominus."

I sit back against my bed again and close my eyes. So… Zack thinks I can't fight the Dominus, huh? What makes him so sure? He doesn't even know who the guy is! …Does he? I sit up again and look at him. "Zack? Do you know who the Dominus is?"

He falls silent and looks away. "I…"

"Zack. Do you know? If you do, tell me so I know how to fight him. I need to know so I can save our people."

"Cloud, I can't tell you. I swore I wouldn't give his identity away."

"Zack, he's destroying our people. I can't let that happen."

"But… If I told you, you'd train yourself to fight him and undoubtedly kill him."

"But if I don't kill him, he'll kill me and everyone else, mortal and demon."

"Cloud, I can't…"

"But why the hell not?"

"I just can't, okay?! You know as well as I do that only the Dominus, his companion, and the council know his identity…"

"Yeah, I do, but why do you know?"

"I was sworn to secrecy. I can't tell you, Cloud. No matter how much I want to."

"Don't you want to help? You can do us a huge favor by telling me!"

"Cloud, you can't fight him! Just trust me on this! You'll be committing suicide!"

I've heard enough. I stand up and walk towards the door, pausing to face Zack. "I'm fighting him, like it or not."

……

I stalk through the halls, ignoring everyone watching me curiously. I approach the council chamber and wait outside the door, knowing that the council knows when they have a visitor. The wide golden doors open slowly and I walk inside. The voice of Lord Rufus calls out, "Cloud Strife of the vampires!"

Instead of stopping in the middle like most demons do, I keep going straight up to where the Dominus sits, shrouded in his darkness. I point a finger at him and say, "Dominus! I challenge you to a battle for your title!"

An amused hum comes back and that dark voice replies, "Is that so, Cloud?"

He says my name as if he has the right to. Hmph. "Yeah. Why? Are you too much of a coward to accept my challenge?"

"No. I will fight, but let us take some time to prepare. Return here in two weeks. We will fight then."

"Fine. I'll return in two weeks and take your throne. Be ready."

_**Tifa**_

Tifa raised her arm to block Cloud's lightning-quick strikes. She released a squeal and leapt out of the way as he struck down, just barely missing scratching her face with his claws. Landing in a crouch, she saw her opening and pounced forward again. Grasping her hands around his arms and her knees around his hips, she used her momentum to shove him to his back.

She struggled for breath after the rough spar and glared down at him. "Cloud Strife! You said you wanted to spar! I've gotten used to our spars turning into make-out sessions, but… but…"

He blinked, just falling out of his battle mindset. "Tifa, I…"

"You almost hurt me!" she shouted.

His breath caught in his throat as he realized what he'd almost done. Reaching up, he ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek where he'd just missed cutting her. "I'm so sorry, Tifa… I never meant to…"

She shook her head, already feeling herself melt under his gentle touch and repentant gaze. "Cloud, what's gotten into you? You've been fighting like an animal lately…"

A smirk crossed his features. "Would you rather I acted like an animal in a different setting?"

She made a face at him, no longer embarrassed by his sexual innuendo. "Not until you have that dream. And certainly not if you're going to lose your mind and hurt me."

"Yeah, I know." He shifted to free his arms from her grasp and wrapped them around her waist to pull her against his chest. "I love you, Tifa. I don't ever want to see you get hurt."

She settled her cheek against his bare skin. "I know. Same goes for you, you know. Don't go getting yourself hurt, you hear me? I'll kill you if you die."

A low chuckle erupts from his throat. "I know, Tifa. I don't plan on dying until after we're companionated and have sex again."

She slapped her palm down on his muscled chest. "You're such a pervert."

"But you still love me."

"Yeah, I do."

_**Cloud**_

I jump awake with a tingling sensation coursing through my body. I sit up and look down next to me to see Tifa still sound asleep on her stomach. Good. I didn't wake her. My thunder dream didn't stir her. I glare up at the ceiling. Fine time for you to give me the blessing.

Two weeks have passed since I issued my challenge. Now we fight. Tifa is hanging out with Rin and Yuffie today, so she won't be stopping me. Sigh. I still haven't told her my plans. I feel like a terrible companion-to-be… I lean over to kiss Tifa before rolling over and getting up. I make my way through the halls in the direction of the throne room. No one knows yet that there's been a challenge made, but that's the way it's always been.

Only once the battle is over does the council announce a new Dominus or a defeated attempt. Sure, the Dominus's identity is unknown to the populace, but the council still announces that there's a new one so the people can expect a change.

The golden doors part before me and I walk in, noting that every council member is there. I suppose they want to see the fight. A rustle sounds from the Dominus's alcove and I can guess he's standing. The man drops down from the ledge, showing his face to me. My jaw hits the floor. _That_ was unexpected.

"_Vincent Valentine!?_ _You're_ the Dominus!?"

* * *

Oh! If you're on LiveJournal, be sure to stop by my new Cloud-centric icontest! It's called the CloudAwards and can be found here: http:// community. livejournal. com/cloudawards/ (Remove spaces). We need all the entries and voters we can get! Even if you don't make icons, join and vote for all the beautiful pieces! Thanks so much!

Who do you think will win the fight? You know I'm not above killing characters…

-Valk


	16. Chapter 10: Drown Without Inhaling

I seem to have left you guys torn with that last chapter. Or, rather, the following question. Who will die? Hm? Hm? Hm? So many possible turn-outs! Just don't peek ahead!

Thanks to **bubbles, mc, Dis **(I know I'm evil. Thanks for noticing!)**, Lunie, HartStrife, V-Ninja, **and newcomer **xamss**! Thanks so much for your reviews!

Sigh... FFnet must have updated or something... All my triple asterisks are being deleted... I went back to look at my old chapters and all my scene changes were cut! T_T I'll go back and add the transitions later... When I'm bored...

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Chapter 10  
**_**Drown Without Inhaling**_

_**Cloud**_

"_Vincent Valentine!?_ _You're_ the Dominus!?" I shift for a moment before regaining my cool and watching him. "Honestly, I didn't see that coming."

He nods once in understanding. "Such is the point of being Dominus, no?"

I shrug. That does make sense. "I guess."

Aerith calls out from her throne, "The battle for the title of Dominus shall take place immediately! The rules are simple. You may use any and all powers at your disposal. Hold nothing back."

I nod, bracing myself for the fight as she continues, "The twenty-six members of council are present as witnesses. Cloud Strife, child of vampire and mortal, versus Vincent Valentine, child of vampire. When you are ready… Begin!"

Without so much as a crouch, Vincent leaps towards me and draws his claws. I jump to the side at the last second, already summoning my flames. I get one spell off before he's in my face again, forcing me to mano-a-mano combat. Not like it matters. I'm more comfortable in close rage, anyway.

Damn, he's good. I raise a hand to block his roundhouse. I grip his ankle with my bare hand and summon a flame, burning his leather boot to mere scraps. He leaps backwards and kicks off the tattered remains before smirking and rubbing at his burnt leg. I cast him a smirk of my own and ready another flame with one hand, throwing it as he lunges closer again.

Where'd he go? He was just right in front of me! I turn quickly, just sensing him behind me. Fuck… He has the advantage of knowing the arena. Word has it that we've had the same Dominus for the last hundred and fifty years. He is good. Zack was right on that account. But why wouldn't he tell me who the bastard was?

A few more hits and bouts of pain later, I lose sight of him again. Damn, he's fast. A sharp pain explodes in the right side of my ribcage and I'll make a bet he broke a few ribs with that kick. Another bursts out in my stomach and I fall to my knees. I really hate fighting other vampires. They're the only ones that can actually move quickly enough and are strong enough to cause me actual pain.

I pull myself to my feet, making a mental note to suck up my pride and see a succubus for these wounds. He actually managed to scrape my skin and cut it open in multiple places. I raise an eyebrow and ready another flame as he stands completely still opposite me.

I drop into a ready stance, all set to pounce when necessary, when Vincent raises his hands to the council. His deep voice sounds through the room, "I have seen Cloud fight and experienced it firsthand. I hereby surrender this battle."

What the…? Scarlet, the old succubus hag, jumps out of her throne in surprise. "This can't be! One of you must die! There can only be one Dominus!"

Vincent nods. "I understand. I surrender all rights to the title of Dominus to Cloud. He has fought bravely and has proven himself worthy."

Aerith nods. "Very well. This battle is over. Vince-"

Wait… "What the hell?! I thought one of us had to die?!"

Vincent walks closer to me, slowly extending a hand to help me stand. "You question my generosity? Your choice of words leaves much to be desired, but your mother would be proud of your intentions, you know."

I snort. "Aerith is right there. Ask her."

He shakes his head. "I don't mean Aerith."

What the…?"

_**Tifa**_

Tifa sat back on the bench, laughing as Yuffie taunted Squall. The man simply snorted and stayed quiet, ignoring the succubus while sitting right at Rinoa's side. The four of them plus Nero, Arc, another witch, and Luneth, a gale, sat in the common area, laughing over lunch. Out of the blue, a sharp pain hit Tifa in the stomach and she leaned over in recoil. Rinoa's hand was on her back before she realized what was happening and she brushed her away, forcing a smile and saying, "I'm okay. Really!"

Rinoa didn't look convinced as she asked, "Are you sure? What happened?"

"It's nothing. Just a cramp. But I need to go. I'm meeting Cloud back at his room."

Squall barely waved his farewell while Luneth grinned and shouted, "Bye, Tifa! See ya tomorrow!"

"Bye, guys!" she called over her shoulder as she walked back to the vampire district. Making her way through the halls, she came up to her destination and walked in, finding it void of her lover and their roommate. Raising an eyebrow, she walked over to the bed and sat down. _Cloud… Where are you…?_

_**Cloud**_

"What the hell d'you mean, 'my mother would be proud'? You never met her! The only demon that met her is dead!"

Vincent shakes his head slightly. "You are mistaken, Cloud."

This can't be happening… He isn't… He can't be…

"You look very much like your mother."

No fucking way… He… I raise a hand, just wanting to make sure I'm not jumping to conclusions and ask, "Wait. Are you saying… You're…?"

"Your father. Yes. I realize I've taken far too long in telling you this, but I-"

I don't need to hear anything else. Blood fills my vision as I leap forward, pinning him to the ground with one hand around his throat and the other curled in a fist. I thrust it down towards his face. Once, twice, three times. A fourth for good measure. My own voice sounds foreign to me as it shouts, "You sick bastard! What the fuck?! Did you think it was funny to watch me grow without a fucking father?! Wasn't it enough that I had to grow up, surrounded by humans, only to watch my mother die?!"

Two thick pairs of hands grab my arms and pull me back. Let me go, damn it! I turn sharply, finding a blurred image of Lord Rufus standing there. For the first time, I realize I had tears running down my face. Some ruler I'd be.

Aerith comes down off her pedestal and nods to Rufus and Tseng, council member of dragons, to let me go before saying, "This battle is over. You, Cloud, are the victor. Save all personal issues for later. Vincent Valentine, you are no longer recognized as the Dominus. Pass your pendant onto your inheritor."

The bastard pulls himself to his feet and reaches in his collar, pulling a golden pendant with the Dominus's rune embedded on it out. He takes it off and holds it out to me. I snatch it and examine the golden markings for a moment before reaching down to attach it to my belt loop and slip it into my pocket.

Lord Reeve walks over with Lady Lightning of the flares. The woman raises an iron branding rod and heats up the end as Lord Reeve explains, "The pendant is not enough proof of your position. Your body must also be marked with the Dominus's seal."

I shrug. "Fine. Where?"

Lady Lightning raises the rod. "It should be in an unnoticeable place; one that is often covered by clothing."

I raise my leg and pat my right thigh. "Will this work? I don't ever wear shirts, so I'm kind limited on hidden skin."

"It works. Remove your pants."

I can't help my smirk. "You do know I'm taken, right?"

Lady Lightning—I gotta get in the habit of referring to council members without titles—rolls her eyes and raises the brand. "Unless you want me to burn you somewhere where it counts, I suggest you shut up."

I pull off my duster and start taking off my pants, not really caring that there's twenty-seven other people present. "Geez, take a joke. Besides, I thought I was in charge. Aren't you supposed to suck up to me?"

"You may have won the battle, but you're far from earning respect. You get what you deserve in Orcus, remember?"

"Yeah, Yeah, I get-Ahh!" Damn! Shit! Fuck!

Lightning gives a little smirk and holds up the branding rod before pointing to my thigh and the new burn mark there. I glance at it before glaring up—Damn, how tall _is_ she?—at her. "What the hell?!"

"You weren't going to shut up any other way."

Geez. I swear, women in Orcus are fucking crazy… Except Tifa. She's just crazy, not fucking crazy. I wonder what Tifa's doing now? I look up at Aerith, pointedly ignoring Vincent. "Is there anything else to do here?"

Aerith shakes her head. "Not at the moment. We'll meet again to discuss when meetings will be and how they generally run. Also, Angeal will come to your room at some point to fit your wall with a portal to your throne."

My throne… God, I love the sound of that. Heh. "So, I can get back to see my soon-to-be companion now?"

Vincent's eyebrow goes up. "Did you finally have the last dream?"

My sour mood returns in an instant. "What's it to you?"

He raises his hands in a mild surrender and slowly backs away. Good. Just stay the hell out of my life. "I'm leaving, then. Anything else before I go?"

Aerith shakes her head and that's all I need as I turn around and walk for the door. Tseng calls out, "There is one other thing."

I turn on my heel and give him a look. "What?"

"Remember that only the Dominus, his or her companion—if they should have one—and the council may know the Dominus's identity."

Okaaay… "Yeah. So?"

"So that means, until you are companionated, not even Tifa may know."

What the crap?! I can't tell Tifa?! At least I just had the dream, so it shouldn't be too much longer… But I still have to keep a secret from Tifa. This has got to be the worst possible predicament… The council members move back to their thrones again and I wait by the door, turning to see Aerith slowly walking closer. Once close enough, she whispers, "So, Iurgium. Did you have the last dream?"

I sigh. Damn it, Aerith… "Yeah, I did. But I haven't told Tifa yet. I just had it this morning before the fight and I wanted to make sure I'd live before I said anything."

"Understandable. I wish you the best."

"Thanks."

We sit in an awkward silence for a moment before she asks, "Iurgium?"

I have a feeling I know what she'll ask, but I mumble a quick, "Hn?" anyway.

"How is Zack?"

I knew it. "You kicked him out. Go find out yourself."

"Iurgium, that's not fair. I had to choose between him and my place as a council member."

"And you made your choice."

"What if you were forced to choose between Seracor and your place as a loyal warrior of Orcus?"

My eyebrows rise in surprise. "Are you seriously asking me that?"

Confusion spreads in her emerald eyes. "Why?"

"If you think I'd abandon Tifa for some sense of family with people I haven't hardly spoken to over the last fourteen years, you're insane."

"Think of it as if you were in my place, Iurgium. Growing to the age of eight hundred, being the only one left my age, and just finally allowing love into my life; love with such a young boy, no less."

I cross my arms. "All the more reason. It took you so long to find love, and yet you're so ready to give it up?"

"You don't understand… It's difficult to be this old with no one else my age around. Customs I grew up with are considered 'old-fashioned' and everyone around are the children and grandchildren of friends I grew up with… I'm the only one who can preserve these thoughts."

"Aerith… Did you ever wonder if there was a reason why those customs have been forgotten?" I turn back to the door, pausing just long enough to say, "He misses you."

_**Tifa**_

She sat on the bed she and Cloud had started to share, waiting for him to come in the door. She knew Zack would be out all day, meeting with an old friend of his. Finally, the door creaked open and Cloud started in. Tifa jumped up to greet him, pausing after a split-second when she caught sight and scent of the blood and tears.

She ran over to him, looking over his injuries while trying to hold back tears of her own. "Cloud! What happened?"

He shook his head, barely managing to grunt out a low reply before leaning into her embrace. "Tifa…"

She wrapped her arms around him and asked again, "Cloud…?"

"I…" he swallowed his spit and reached over, summoning his flame to cauterize the deep cut on his opposite arm. A low scream erupted from his throat as he swallowed the pain.

Tifa pulled him over to the bed and sat him down before sitting next to him. "Cloud…"

He leaned into her shoulder. "Tifa, I… I met my father."

She looked at him in shock. "You what?"

"I met my father. Or, rather, I found out who he was."

"Who, Cloud? Who is it?" She ghosted her fingers over his torn flesh and asked, "And what happened?"

"Vincent Valentine. Vincent is my father."

"Vinc- You're serious?"

"Of course I am. I just…"

She wrapped her arms around him again and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Cloud… I'm so, so sorry…"

"It's not your fault, Tifa. I'm just glad you're here."

"Cloud…"

"What I don't understand is why couldn't he tell me earlier?"

She pulled him closer to her while leaning back enough to fall down onto the bed. "I don't know. But does it really matter? I mean, if you'd known, maybe you would have been raised differently and you never would have gone to Gaia five years ago and we never would have met."

He shifted to roll above her with his legs straddling her hips. "You know, Tifa. It's for things like this that I'm glad you're here. You always make the worst situations seem that much better."

"Cloud… I love you, you know. I really can't wait for you to have that dream."

A surprised look entered his eyes and he averted his gaze. She furrowed her brow and asked, "Cloud? What's wrong?"

"Eh…" He reached up to scratch the back of his head. "I, uh… I had it last night…"

She jumped to a sitting position, shoving him to the floor in the process. "What?! Why didn't you say anything?!"

"I… I didn't… I wanted to, but I had the spar lined up and I knew that if I told you, I wouldn't have been able to leave."

She stood up and moved closer to him to wrap her arms around him. "Cloud, you have got to be the biggest idiot I've ever met."

He returned the embrace and kissed her happily, shifting one of his hands to slip into her skirt and rest on her hip. "So, we're gonna be companionated? No questions, right?"

"That sounded like a question to me."

"It was a question to make sure we don't have questions, though."

She giggled. "No, Cloud. No questions."

He dipped his chin down to nuzzle her neck. "Good."

"Except…"

Pulling back, he asked, "What is it?"

"How do demon weddings work?"

He gave a laugh of his own, stopping and cringing when Tifa rubbed her leg against his. She pulled back at his expression and glanced down. "Cloud, is your leg hurt, too?"

"Only a little… It's not open and bleeding, if that's what you're asking."

"Let me see."

"Tifa, I'd have to take off my pants to show you."

"So? We're going to be companionated. If you can't show me, who can you show?"

"Tifa, it's not that I don't trust you to help me, it's just that if I lose my pants, I won't be able to hold back."

"Oh… Well, will you at least go see a witch or a succubus about these wounds? You're a complete mess."

"Gee, thanks."

"Promise me, Cloud? Who did this to you, anyway?"

In one, simple word, he replied, "Vincent."

"Oh… You fought?"

"Yeah… It wasn't until the fight was over that he told me. Well, I mean, I tackled him a punched him in the face a couple times, but the spar was over."

She sighed, hating herself for seeing him in pain and not knowing anything to help. "Cloud, is there anything I can do to help?"

His arms tightened around her middle. "You're doing so much right now."

* * *

See? It's all okay. V-Ninja, Bubbles, I didn't kill your Vinnie. Happy? And, just so you all know, I'm not above killing Cloud. Just so you know for the future.

Let's see if you guys have an answer for Tifa's question… What _do_ demon weddings consist of? I think I know, but I love to hear your ideas! Maybe I'll integrate one or two into the plot ;)

Review?

-Valk


	17. Chapter 11: The Cross I Bear

Hallelujah! I went back and fixed all the missing transitions in this fic! Yay! (One down, fourteen to go!)

I dunno if you guys have ever played FFV or if you plan to, but this chapter has a minor spoiler for one character…

Thanks to **mc, HartStrife, Lunie, Bubbles, LadyOfTheRealms, Dis, and Ams** (I saw your profile ^_^)!

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Chapter 11  
**_**The Cross I Bear**_

_**Cloud**_

Tifa walks into our room with her hands clasped behind her back and a smile on her face. I look up from where I sit back on mine and Tifa's bed with an apple in hand and ask, "And what has you so happy today?"

She raises an eyebrow at the piece of fruit before answering, "You'll never guess."

I sit upright and pat the space next to me for her to take. She sits down and reaches out, swiping the apple from my hand and takes a bite, licking her lips with a slow sweep of her tongue when she swallows. My eyes follow her tongue and I take a deep breath to slow my heartbeat. Finally, I work up my voice and reply, "Come on, Tifa… Tell me."

She simply smiles and said, "Lord Reeve qualified me for graduation. I just have to pass the exam."

A smile spreads on my face. Sure, I would've heard of it soon enough from Reeve, but I'm glad I heard it from her. "Tifa, that's great news! When's your test?"

Her smile gets wider. "Tomorrow."

My smile disappears. Shit. We can't be companionated for another five days… She'll want to see me there, but I have to watch as the Dominus… Crap. She looks up at me in worry. "What's wrong, Cloud?"

I shake my head to break my thoughts. "I just… I was thinking of how they'll probably send you off to war."

Her hand rests on mine and she looks up at me through her gorgeous lashes. "Cloud… I'll be okay. You'll be there with me. There's nothing we can't handle together."

My smile comes back, even if it's fake to comfort her. "I know, but I'm still worried."

Not even ten seconds later, I'm lost against her smooth lips.

……

Today's the day. Tifa graduates as a vampire today. I talked to Aerith and she said she'd help me get back and forth between the crowd and my throne. It's kinda funny that my first official business as Dominus is Tifa's graduation. It's up to me and Rufus to decide if she passes. I think I'll leave it up to him… I get the feeling her abilities won't be what I watch.

Tifa smiles at me as we wait outside the arena with Lord Rufus. I reach out and pull her closer, kissing her for luck before turning and heading in the direction of the audience levels. Once out of sight, Aerith teleports me back to my room and I run over to the portal camouflaged into the wall. I pass through and freeze, watching all the demons gathered for this event. They all chant the common motivational saying, "_Macto ad lucror! Pugna ad vici! Macto ad lucror! Pugna ad vici!_"

There's an eight-foot wall surrounding the arena. Behind that is a raised ledge where most demons gather to watch, standing room only. On an upper level is where the council and I sit, on our thrones in our separate alcoves, watching over the battle from above. Of course, my nook is shrouded in darkness the invention of the artisans known as black flame. It's pretty cool, too. And Aerith casted a spell on here to make my voice much deeper than it is. Hence why I never figured out that Vincent was the Dominus, I guess…

I sit back in my throne with a smirk as Tifa walks in beside Rufus, as is customary. She looks so adorable with that confidant look on her face. Her eyes scan the crowd and I swallow the lump in my throat, knowing she's searching for her friends and me. Seeing no other choice than to cut off her search, I shout to the room, "_Tace!_" The crowds fall silent with my command. Damn, I love having power. "Today is the day we challenge Tifa Lockhart for her full-fledged vampirism! Tifa, are you ready for the exam prepared by Lord Rufus, council member of the vampires?"

She looks up in my direction and gives a bow. Talk about awkward. "Yes, Milord." Double awkward.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts. "Very well. Rufus?"

He turns and leaps up to his throne, taking his seat before turning to face Tifa. I stand up and slip through the portal back to my room, waiting for Aerith to take her cue. Seconds later, the teleportation spell goes off and I'm right outside the auditorium. I run inside and push my way through the crowd to the front, grinning at Tifa and giving her the thumbs up when our eyes meet.

_**Tifa**_

She smiled when she saw Cloud in the crowd and turned back to Rufus as he shouted out the rules to her exam. "There are five parts to the vampire exam. The test of thought, heart, claw, heel, and fang. We will begin with claw. This is a test of your physical strength. You will be pit against another vampire to battle in earnest. We will cut it short before any casualties are made, but you will be expected to fight as if you mean to kill. The same goes for your opponent."

She nodded and bowed. "Understood, Lord Rufus."

Rufus waved a hand and gestured to the doors on the opposite side of the arena. They parted and her opponent walked inside. A young-looking man with short grayish-black hair walked in, donning a full black outfit with a knee-length jacket. Rufus's voice calls out, "Tifa Lockhart versus Noctis Caelum! Begin!"

Noctis pounced forward, already having his claws extended on his right, ungloved hand. Tifa jumped out of the way and spun around, launching a kick towards his back. He twisted to get out of the way and did a full backflip, landing in a ready stance with his eyes on her. She watched him in return, slowly moving in a circle to get around behind him. She brandished her claws and leapt closer to him, managing a scratch to his face before he shoved her back again.

_**Cloud**_

I watch as Tifa goes back and forth with Noct. The guy is good. He's always been one of the upper-ranked vampires. I know he's not really fighting. I fought him during my test and he bit and clawed more than he is now. Maybe it's a 'I can't hit a girl' thing? Whatever. Obviously, Tifa's winning. She's probably not far behind Noct in strength and he's holding back.

Luckily, I can stay in the crowd for most of the test. I don't have to do anything else until the end, win or lose. God, I hope she doesn't fail… I reeeaaally don't want to have to tell her that.

I snap out of my reverie when Rufus calls out, "Enough! The test of the claw is complete!"

Tifa and Noct stand up straight, face each other, and bow. The Lord of Vampires continues, "Tifa, you have done well, but you are far from finished. Are you ready for the next round?"

She nods, brushing at the blood dripping down her cheek. "Yes, Lord Rufus."

"Very well. Your next test will be one of thought. This is a simple question and answer exam. You must answer the questions as if you were in these given situations and how you would act. The time it takes you to reply will also be considered for whether you pass or not. If these were to really happen, you might not have the luxury of time to decide."

She swallows her spit and raises her chin to show her confidence. "At your ready, Milord."

"Very well. You are deployed to the mortal realm on a scouting mission through mountainous terrain. You were sent out with a dragon as your teammate and he was injured. He is unable to move without your aid and you have a goal to get back to a rendezvous point. If you help him, you'll be late for check-in. What do you do?"

Without hesitation, my girl answers, "Given that most dragons are on the heavy side, even in human form, he would likely be difficult for me to carry long distances. On the assumption that my teammate was critically injured, I'd help him find a hiding place and run for the rendezvous as quick as possible to get help. If he had a broken leg or something that was difficult to move on but not fatal, I would help him back and seek proper medical attention before reporting to my superior and explain what happened."

Rufus digests her answer before replying, "Very good. A level amount of detail left unsaid by the question was considered. Your second question is this: You find a dying mortal on your way through town. You're carrying medicinal supplies used to aid demons of non-fatal fevers. The medicines can cure the mortal's wounds. What do you do?"

"Aid the mortal, of course. Without them, demons have nothing. Our power comes from the essence of mortals and it is our duty to keep them safe. I can easily go and find more medicines for menial illnesses demons contract."

"Good, good… Your third question. Your good friend, Rinoa Heartilly, is taken captive by the gods. You are present when the deed is done and you have two choices. You can either chase after her, or go back and find reinforcements before rescuing her. What do you choose?"

"I choose the hidden third option. I follow the gods to see where they take her before turning back to find aid. I know I can't fight gods plenty enough to capture Rin on my own."

"Incorrect. Gods are merciless towards demons. You wouldn't have enough time to go back and get to her again before something irreparable would be done."

She looks down at her shoes. "Understood, Milord."

"Your means are honorable, but unethical. I will consider you a pass for this portion, however."

"Thank you, Milord."

_**Tifa**_

She panted as her test of the heel came to a close. The witch, tide, and flash who'd tested her magical evasiveness turned and walked out of the arena. Tifa stood up straight and waited as Rufus announced the fourth of five exams.

"The next test is of the heart! You will be placed in a difficult position to see how you will react in such a situation. I will require aid from six people in our audience. Yuffie Kisaragi, Rinoa Heartilly, and Cloud Strife. Please come forward."

She looked up in panic as the three people she was closest to hopped or floated over the wall to stand in the arena. Cloud, cocky as always, shot her a grin and winked. She struggled to keep her laughter away, knowing he only did that to keep her calm.

"I'd also like to ask Barret Wallace, Faris Scherwiz, and Strago Magus forward. I will require your assistances as well."

The titan, flare, and necromancer came forward and stood opposite Yuffie, Rinoa, and Cloud. Rufus nodded to the three newcomers and Tifa realized that they must've practiced what to do beforehand. Barret raised his fist and punched the ground, sending a pillar of solid stone up directly behind Tifa's friends and, by mortal standards, fiancé. Immediately afterwards, before they could think, Strago cast a binding spell to cuff them to the pillars.

"What the f-?!" Cloud shouted as he and Yuffie started fighting at their restraints violently while Rinoa stayed calm and cast spell after spell on them in an attempt to break them. Nothing worked, so they finally sat still, knowing it was a part of Tifa's exam. Barret clapped his flesh and metal hands together and, without warning, the ground around the pillars started to collapse. Finally, a ledge about five feet out from the pillars remained. Faris took her cue and cast a fire spell, filling the entire area around the ledge with molten lava.

Tifa gasped and, on instinct, moved closer and shouted, "What is this?!"

Cloud called back, "Keep your head, Teef! This is the test of the heart, remember?"

"Alright, Cloud…" she said while nodding, still looking back and forth between Cloud, her friends, and the lava. Turning, she looked up at Rufus and asked, "What is the challenge here? To watch those dearest to me burn to the death?!"

He shook his head. "You'll see soon enough."

The ground around the ledges started to crumble and Tifa ran closer, bracing her legs to leap over to the other side. An animated skeleton suddenly appeared in her way, blocking her approach. She skidded to a halt and glanced over to see Strago busy at work to raise a small army of undead.

She snapped out, launching a kick into the nearest skeleton's head and dislodged it from its shoulders. The skull landed in the lava and disintegrated. The body kept going, though, and reached out to grab Tifa's ankle. She twisted to ram her elbow into its ribs—or what was left of them—and knocked it into the pool with its head.

A bony fist slammed into her back and she turned, grabbing this one by its rib and hipbone and simply threw it in the lava. She continued to fight off the skeletal horrors one-by-one before finally running towards Strago himself. Barret and Faris blocked the way, forcing Tifa to utilize her training with the magical breeds. Faris summoned her rapier out of thin air, much like Tifa had seen Squall do with his gunblade. She swung at her with fluid strikes that Tifa managed to dodge with her vampiric reflexes.

Barret came into the field and swung a heavy fist towards the thin girl that she dodged just from the pure slowness of it. In the process, Faris got a good hit on her and cut her arm. She gave a small cry of surprise, causing Cloud to call her name from where he was chained to the pillar. "I'm fine!" she shouted, pulling herself to her feet and extending her claws.

She struck out, slashing Barret across the cheek and cutting two vertical slashes down. Faris swung again and sent a flame towards Tifa, but thanks to all her practice with Cloud, she dodged it easily and sent a kick into her ribs. She almost fell into the lava from the thrust, but Rinoa flicked her wrist and teleported her to the audience stands instead.

An echoed 'Oohh…' sounded from the crowd, showing their honest surprise at the near-deadly turn the test had almost taken. Tifa snapped up and shoved another undead soldier away as she leapt clean over Barret in the splits, ignoring the wolf-whistle from Cloud. She kept running towards Strago and brought her claws down towards the old-looking man. Her nails struck him hard enough to stop his summoning of the dead, if only for the moment.

She turned quickly as Rinoa's voice called out, "Uh, Tifa…? Little help here?" Her eyes widened as she realized that the entire ledge had crumbled away and the three of them were only kept out of harm's way by the shackles on their wrists. Yuffie had floated up as high as her chains would let her and Cloud had used his upper-body strength to pull himself up, but Rinoa didn't have those kinds of abilities at her disposal. She struggled as much as she could to keep herself up, but the flames still played at the tips of her toes.

Tifa ran closer and leapt off the ground and up to Yuffie's pillar. She slammed her claws down on the chain to shatter it and Yuffie floated free. Shimmying along, she leapt to Cloud's pillar and went straight past to jump to Rin's. She gestured to Yuffie, who floated over to hold onto the witch. Tifa slammed her fist down to break the chains and Rinoa slipped free and into Yuffie's grasp. The succubus moved them over to safety while Tifa leapt back to Cloud's pillar.

She grabbed hold of it so she was upside-down and shimmied down until she was face-to-face with him. Smiling, she pressed a kiss to his lips before saying, "Hey, there, handsome."

He smirked back and twisted his legs back around the earthen column as she broke the chain. He flipped down and grabbed hold before bracing his feet and leaping towards safety. He stood up and opened his arms to catch Tifa as she pounced after him. She plowed clean into him and knocked him down to the ground. They exchanged a few kisses that Rufus permitted for a short while.

Finally, the councilman got fed up and shouted, "Well done! Onto your final test! The test of the fang! This one consists of-!"

He cut off as the auditorium doors slammed open and a demon ran in, panting. Lord Angeal stood up from his seat and shouted, "You are Kunsel of the artisans! What is the meaning of this interruption?!"

Kunsel looked up to address the council. "I bring word from my superiors left to watch the mirror! The gods are moving in on Midgar!"

Cloud and Tifa both looked over at him, different yet similar thoughts going through their minds.

* * *

Okay, first off, I fail epically with Latin sentence structuring. Online translators don't help, so I'm pretty sure my motivational phrase isn't the most accurate. "_Macto ad lucror! Pugna ad vici!"_ is supposed to translate as, "Fight to win! Battle to succeed!" Just so you know, don't trust my knowledge of Latin word-for-word, okay?

I know many of you were expecting a wedding, but that'll come soon. Promise. Cloud won't let the war get too deep without getting in Tifa's pants again. Or skirt, I guess. Whatever.

By the way, how did I handle Lightning and Noctis? My knowledge of FFXIII isn't the best (as of yet), so I'll take all the opinions you guys have to offer!

Now, then. I'm reeeaaally torn about an upcoming event. I'll say it has something to do with Cloud's and Tifa's next time in the sack, but I don't know which idea to follow through with. Since I don't want to give any spoilers, I will simply ask, 1 or 2? I've labeled each idea with one of those numbers and I can't go back on it. I'm honestly blanking on which one to go with. Whichever gets more votes is the one I'll go with. Thanks!

-Valk


	18. Chapter 12: Hold Me in Your Embrace

Ah, here we go! Chapter twelve!

*Fangirl squee* Over one hundred reviews! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Super huggles for **Bubbles, Dis, CL2989, mc, Lunie, HartSrtife, **and** V-Ninja**! Thank you all so much! Let's see if we can get the review count up to three hundred before this over! I'm expecting this to go on for quite awhile. At least thirty chapters, if not, forty.

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Chapter 12  
**_**When You Hold Me in Your Embrace**_

_**Cloud**_

Panic. That's the only word to describe what happened next. Just about every demon present started screaming, mostly battle cries. Everyone started running from the arena to sharpen their weapons or hone their spells. Demons without battle are like addicts without crack. They're okay for awhile without it before the withdrawals start. Afterwards, they calm down until the smell fills their senses and start to go a little strange in the head when they finally do get it.

I jump to my feet and pull Tifa against me as a rush of people jump into the arena to take the wide double doors out. I spot Zack in the crowd and wave him over, shouting over the noise, "Zack! Over here!"

He spies me and shoves his way through the sea of people, grabbing hold of my shoulder to make sure we don't get separated. "What's up, pup?"

"Can you take Tifa back to the room? I need to talk to Aerith."

Tifa looks up at me with wide eyes. "I'll come with you, Cloud!"

I give my head a shake. I need an excuse—and fast. I have to work as the Dominus… "You know I want you there, but this is going to be a graphic discussion. I'd rather you wait until later…"

She nods slowly. She's so beautiful, inside and out. "Alright. I'll wait with Zack. Hurry, Cloud, okay?"

"I will." I kiss her quickly and, after making sure Zack had a hold on Tifa's arm, shove my way through the crowd. I shove my way to the doors opposite where Zack and Tifa try to leave when Angeal's voice calls out, "_Tace!_"

Everything stills at once and all eyes look up to the council. Aerith stands and, with a clear and authoritative voice, says, "All of you are to return to your rooms and await word from your respective council leader. The twenty-six council members and the Dominus will meet to discuss our next course of action."

Rufus speaks next, "Now, return to your rooms… _slowly._"

The demons start to file out and I stay back, acting as if I'm waiting for someone. For the demons who didn't see Zack and Tifa get out, they probably think I'm waiting on them. A little bit later, a teleportation spell goes off and I'm suddenly standing in my room. Tifa and Zack aren't here yet, so I hurry over to the portal to get to the council chamber.

I walk through the darkness comfortably and take my seat. I glance around to make sure the council members are all here before saying, "Angeal. What do your people say about the extent of the raid?"

His eyebrows raise, probably he's surprised that a punk like me can be mildly mature. Personally, I'm proud of myself for such a heart-of-the-matter statement. "Kunsel has informed me that Biggs and Jessie have the full report. I've asked them to come here to explain it all."

I nod, but then I realize that they can't see it. "Alright. In the meantime, does anyone have anything else to say?"

Lightning sits casually with her chin resting on her knuckles. "Might I suggest we use this time to whip the new whelp into shape?"

…Why do I get the feeling she's talking about me? What is it with those hothead flares? Did they start a fire under their own ass? "…Excuse me?"

A slow smirk crosses her face as she says, "If you're going to be leading our people, you have to be prepared to make decisions if the whole council isn't present. You need to understand how these things work."

I sigh and lean forward in my throne a bit. "I know that. But I'm ready to learn. It's not necessary to mock me over it, is it?"

Tseng sighs. "Enough!"

Aerith gives her head a shake as the gale council member, Kain Highwind, speaks, "Dominus. You would be wise to hurry your companionation ceremony."

Okay. That was like a full-blown slap straight through the skull and onto the brain. I close my eyes in frustration and lean back in my throne. "Don't you think I'm trying? I don't like keeping my new identity a secret from my soon-to-be companion any more than you like me to."

Aerith shakes her head. "Forget about that, Cloud. There's no time. War is coming and we have to act."

_**Zack**_

He watched from his place on the rug as Tifa paced back and forth, mumbling something along the lines of, "Where is he? Why isn't he back yet? Isn't Aerith supposed to meet with the council?"

Zack blinked as he put the pieces together. _Cloud disappears while the council's planning to meet… A little too convenient, huh? Did he… win…? But I've seen Vincent around! There's no way…!_

"Zack?"

He looked up, snapping out of his thoughts, to see the young brunette watching him curiously. He stretched and leaned back. "Nothing… I'm just remembering the last war. Hundred and ninety years already…"

Tifa nodded slowly and came over to sit on his rug beside him. "Will you tell me about it? The war? So I know what to expect?"

Sighing, he sat up straight again and said, "First off, no war is the same. You can't use the last one to judge how this one will flow. There are new warriors and new commanders. New tactics and new weapons… But I'll tell you if you want to know."

She nodded slowly. "Yes, Zack. Please tell me."

"It'll be a messy story. You sure?"

She stuttered a laugh. "Zack, I could be living that story tomorrow. I think I should be okay."

"You know, the stories are always so much worse than it really is. Some of the older folk told me stories of the war before last and I was freaking, thinking I was going to die in such painful ways. But the moment I started the actual combat, I fell into a medium, feeling the blood and ethereal flesh of gods splitting between my jaws… It was a good feeling. I never felt so powerful as I did when in combat. It's…" He paused, searching for the right word. "…freeing."

Tifa nodded. "I see… Since I have the blueblood gene, will I be able to bite the gods?"

He shook his head. "I dunno. That'd be a question for Aerith."

_**Cloud**_

I stretch my arms straight up, glad that our meeting is finally over. God, I wish Tifa an' me were companionated already… That news of Midgar was disturbing to an epic level… I just want to forget about it. If the second time would be anything like the first, I _know_ it'll be easy to lose myself in her. Only two more days to wait, though… We'll be able to be together in two days.

I walk to my room and reach for the handle, pausing when I hear a squealing noise from inside. Tifa! What-? I throw the door open to find her sprawled out on the floor… _laughing._ Zack laid somewhere near her, reaching out with both hands and tickling her. I sigh. This day has just been too much.

I make my way over and sit down near Tifa before gripping Zack's wrists to get him to stop. He finally lets go and I crawl over Tifa to greet her properly.

About five minutes later, I'm on the bottom and Zack is clearing his throat in complaint. Tifa rolls off of me and stands, reaching out to pull me up. I kiss her once more and pull her to the bed before a thought occurs to me. "Oh, yeah… I ran into Rufus while trying to find Aerith. He told me to tell you that they're just going to forget the test of the fang and pass you as a graduate."

She screams in delight and pauses as the three of us all grab at ears. Ow. She settles for throwing her arms around me and kisses me again. A guy could get used to this.

Oh, wait. I already have.

Thicker arms pound into my back and I glare over to see Zack turning our private moment into a group hug. Geez. Doesn't that man get a clue? His voice whispers, ever so slightly so only I can hear him, "Hey, can I talk to you in the hall?"

My eyebrow raises automatically and I pull back from Tifa with an apologetic frown. "Whatever you need to say, you can say in front of Tifa."

He shakes his head. "No, Cloud, I can't."

Tifa nods towards the door with a forced smile. I really do hate that look in her eyes… I swallow the lump forming in my throat and say, "I'll be right back, okay, Tifa?"

She gives me _that_ smile and slowly pulls away from me. "I'll be here."

Zack makes for the door and I start to follow, turning on my heel to walk backwards. "I'll be back in a second and then we'll celebrate your graduation properly."

A smile cracks on her face as she sat on our bed. I smile back before turning to follow Zack out to the hall. He stops with his arms crossed and gives me this condescending look. "What the hell happened?"

I blink. "Huh?"

His expression changes to one that says, 'Don't patronize me.' "With your so-called challenge to the Dominus?"

Oh. That. I forgot Zack knew. But… "Shouldn't I be the one asking questions? How did you know about Vincent?"

He shakes his head. "You'll find out about that if Vince wants you to know."

I shrug. I'll definitely be asking my dear old dad about this later. "Fine. You want to know? Do you have the right to know, even? I mean, I can't even tell Tifa! Why would I tell you?"

"Who's stopping you from talking to Tifa?"

"The council."

"Huh. What they don't know can't hurt 'em."

Wait… Is he…? "Are you saying I should tell Tifa what happened and then have her keep it a secret that she knows?"

"Either that, or talk to the council about telling her since your companionation is going to be delayed with the war."

You know, that's not a bad idea… But… I could just tell her anyway… It's more fun to be a rebel, I always say. I hold up a finger in a 'hang on a sec' way. "I'll be right back."

With that, I turn back into my room and walk over towards Tifa.

_**Tifa**_

She looked up as Cloud walked back into the room with a solemn expression. Her eyes darkened a little at his focused look as he walked right in front of her and dropped to his knees, resting his forehead on her lap. She got the feeling he wasn't in a perverted mood and slowly ran her hand over his soft, golden locks. "Cloud…?"

He sighed against her thighs and she bit back her urge to press into him. His low voiced rumbled against her skin, "Tifa, I…"

She rubbed her hands over his scalp before pulling him up to look at her. "What is it, Cloud?"

He averted his gaze and managed to say, "I… I haven't been completely honest with you."

She blinked, feeling an ice cold hand grasp around her heart, and turned his gaze back to hers. "What do you mean, Cloud?"

He took a deep breath and set his hands on her lower thighs, right above her knees. "Three days ago, I fought with Vincent Valentine and found out he was the man who gave me life. I told you that and I told you he was the reason for all my wounds that day, right?"

"Yes…" She nodded, licking her lips to try to calm herself.

He looked her straight in the eye and said, "What I didn't tell you was the reason why we'd fought and why he'd told me that." After a short pause, he continued, "I fought him that day to try to take his place as the Dominus."

Before her mind had fully registered what he'd just said, her left hand moved swiftly and slapped him across the cheek. Her brain caught up and she shouted at him, "Do you have any idea what could've happened? You could've… You could've… You could've _died_!"

He accepted the blow without trying to move out of the way before slowly raising his eyes back to hers. "I know… I'm sorry, Tifa. I wanted to tell you, but I… I couldn't. I knew that if I had, I wouldn't have been able to go through with it."

She swallowed the lump in her throat, unable to take her tearing eyes away from his crystal-blue ones. "…Then why…? Why did you?"

"Because someone had to act against that bastard. He was just sitting there, waiting for Gaia to be overrun. I'm not even supposed to be telling you now, but I can't keep it from you anymore."

Her eyebrows furrowed together. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" he scratched the back of his head, "Only the Dominus, his companion—if he should have one—, and the council can know his identity…"

"Wait… Are you saying… you _are_ the Dominus now?"

He nodded slowly and slipped a hand in his pocket, pulling out a small object attached to his belt loop and tucked it into her hand. She looked at it to find the emblem of the Dominus, the Lord of all Demons, incrested on a golden medallion. Turning it over and over in her palm, she looked back up at him. "But what happened? I thought the challenge for the Dominus resulted in the death of either the Dominus or his challenger?"

"Yes. One of us was supposed to die, but he surrendered the throne to me, revealing his little tidbit of information shortly after."

"You mean…?"

"Yeah. That he's my dad."

She slowly reached out and wrapped her arms around him before pulling him to her. "Cloud…"

She felt his Adam's apple shift against her shoulder as he swallowed and said, "Tifa… You're not mad?"

"Of course I am. But I'm glad you told me at all."

"We should've been companions by now… With the war looming ahead, we have to postpone it for awhile."

She gave a low sigh and leaned her temple on the side of his head. "We've already waited so long…"

"But, on the bright side, we'll be together on the _Ultimus Amatoria_."

"When will it be?"

"Tomorrow."

* * *

I swear I found a mistake somewhere in here while reading over this on my iPod, but once I got back to my laptop, I couldn't find it. If anyone sees it, could you point it (or any others) out to me so I can fix it? Thanks!

And before you go asking about the _Ultimus Amatoria,_ let me just say that I won't say a word about it until it comes up. I'll let you think about it for awhile. My summer break is officially here, so I'll work on updating some of my other fics and such. And, no, Lunie, Stargate is not included in that. I marked it as 'on hiatus' for a reason. And V-Ninja, I'm really going to try to work on your fic, but I seriously have no idea what comes next.

On another note, FFnet's Topaz Tsubasa has asked me to write out an M-rated storyline she came up with for her, so we'll be starting on that, too.

Ohh… I know… Why don't _you_ tell _me_ what the _Ultimus Amatoria_ is? Do your research and look up what it means… ^_^

-Valk


	19. Chapter 13: Enjoy the Silence

Due to a mistranslation on my part, the _Ultimus Fabula_ is now the _Ultimus Amatoria._ Sorry 'bout that. I told you not to trust my knowledge of Latin.

Also, from now on, chapter names will include lyrics from Sirenia, Lacuna Coil, and Epica songs. I just recently discovered these awesome bands and am also hooked on them :) This chapter is named after the Lacuna Coil song of the same name. It really got me going with the theme of this chapter. Oh, and I'm well aware that this song is originally by Depeche Mode, but I like Lacuna Coil's better.

Thanks to **CL2989, heyuekai, Dis, V-Ninja, Lunie, Bro **(I mean you, Brodwing. Would you prefer something else?)**, Hartstrife, **and **Camilla Hassett.** Thanks so much, everyone!

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Chapter 13  
**_**Enjoy the Silence**_

_**Cloud**_

Today is the day. The _Ultimus Amatoria_. Tifa and I walk side by side towards the _fanum co__ï__tus_ while I carry a soft, fur-trimmed blanket over one arm. We join the crowd of people slowly being permitted into the chamber deep in the succubus district and, while waiting, I lean in to kiss her. I spy Leonhart and Rin further ahead in the group but I don't say a word. It's not right on this night.

Farther back, I see Zack and Aerith making the most of the wait. Good. It's good to see them back together. Very few demons ever split up and even less stay apart. Besides, it was my fault they split up to begin with…

We reach the front and a succubus with dark purple hair greets us with a small smile. "Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart? Go on in and make yourselves comfortable."

I nod and take Tifa's hand and glance through the large room. First time I've been in here and hopefully the last. The whole thing smells like sex and it's almost making me sick. It smells both awful and wonderful at the same time… I mean, it's sex… Who doesn't get turned on by the thick smell of it? And, well, it's nasty because it's not mine and Tifa's. Perverted? Yes, but at least I'm dedicated to Tifa. I mean, that guy over there looks to be enjoying the company of two lady demons at once… My hold on Tifa's hand tightens as I pull her through the massing crowd and find an empty alcove.

The large room is designed for this one event. Millennia ago, titans crafted the stone walls to form slanted barriers along the outsides of the room. Several of the alcoves designed for some minute amount of privacy are already claimed by some couples while others just lay where they fell in the middle of the room. Towards the far side of the room, succubuses float around with a variety of instruments to supply music. They get theirs as often as they want, really. During this occasion, they give everyone else the means to celebrate what could be their last time in peace.

_**Tifa**_

They found an open alcove and the blanket slipped out of Cloud's arms as Tifa linked her arms around him. Their lips met in unbridled passion and hips grinded against each other almost immediately. She pulled back with a coy grin and turned to lean against his chest, slowly shifting her rear to the music.

He gave an exasperated groan as she rubbed against him before setting his hands on her hips to try to slow her. His chin bent down next to her ear and he whispered, "Tifa… You don't want to rush this, do you?"

Shaking her head, she turned to face him and twisted her fingers in his hair. "No, Cloud… I want this to be the most memorable moment of our lives."

His forehead rested softly against hers. "It'll probably be our only chance for quite awhile. Let's make the most of it."

She pulled tighter to him as his arms wrapped around her waist. He dropped backwards to the ground, taking her down on top of him. His fingers were already freeing the ties on the back of her leather bikini-like top. She gave a small shiver of anticipation and blindly reached out for the blanket, keeping her lips attached to his.

His mouth strayed slightly, shifting to kiss her cheek and move back to her ear. After he ran his tongue over her lobe a few times, he whispered, "Tifa, don't be scared if my right leg feels a little rough."

Her moan came out mildly questioning, mildly ecstatic. "Hm?"

He rolled to put her on the bottom and grabbed the blanket, pulling it over them. "When I received my title and that pendant, they burned a similar symbol onto my leg to act as permanent proof. It's still raw, so…"

"Mm… Cloud…" Her hands pulled her top free and threw it out from under the blanket. "I…"

He fiddled around under the blanket and swiftly pulled his duster out before resting his hands on either side of her. "Tifa? What is it?"

She looked him in the eye and licked her lips to moisten them. "I just… I know I was a virgin last time, but it… it hurt, you know?"

"Oh, God…" He tucked his chin down by her ear. "I hurt you? Why didn't you say anything then?"

A low chuckle passed through her lips. "Because, frankly, it was worth it."

"Tifa…"

"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts? If you are, I'll have to throw you to the bottom so this happens."

A dangerous smirk played at his lips. "That's my girl." His hands reached under the blanket and grabbed hold of her skirt and pulled, ripping the corset laces at her hips.

She glanced up at him with her mouth hanging open. "I didn't bring any extra clothes with me. How am I supposed to leave here with a torn skirt?"

He shrugged as best he could. "We'll figure that out tomorrow."

She rolled her eyes and reached up to pull his face back to hers. His fingers trailed down and his eyebrows went up. "Apparently, you didn't bring any underwear, either. At all."

She smiled seductively up at him. "Don't tell me you don't like that?"

He pursed his lips as he thought for a second and grinned. "I better go check out the view." His head disappeared under the blanket and Tifa gasped, feeling his fingers tread over her dark curls. She ducked down under the blanket with him and shot him a look. He simply grinned and leaned down to follow the trail left by his fingers with his tongue.

She gasped at the spike of pleasure that shot through her body and felt her hips rise into him on instinct. Slowly, he danced his tongue like his fingers had before. Her body had a similar reaction and she felt the pressure build between her thighs, desperate to burst free. Only this time, instead of backing out just before she broke, he stayed where he was and tasted her as she came. She didn't bother to veil her cries of delight as she screamed out to the room. It wasn't anything new; similar sounds echoed around them—both male and female—but to Cloud and Tifa, the noise was nonexistent.

Cloud lazed his tongue over her clit and up out of her seam, spreading her essence across her stomach as her traced her body. As he reached her breasts, he simply buried his nose between the mounds and flicked his tongue down into the valley a few times.

Her back arched and, sick of being the underdog, she reached down and pulled his pants free. She grabbed hold of the waistband and shoved them down, murmuring in his ear, "Just like old times, eh?"

He raised his chin back into her sight and smirked. "Excited, are we?"

She managed to shrug her flushed shoulders and quickly pressed her lips to his in response. Her fingers pulled at his pants and boxers to try to shove them down, demanding against his mouth, "Off."

Keeping their lips sealed, he rolled onto his back and wriggled out of his pants before throwing them with the rest of their clothes. Tifa's fingers trailed down to lightly caress his masculinity, teasing him with her feather-like touch.

He groaned under her taunting and gripped her hips, moving to put her back on the bottom. "Five years is way too long…" he whispered into her ear and slowly rolled his hips, dipping into her ever-so-slowly.

An irritated hiss passed through her lips as she struggled to take more of him inside her. He kept her hips pressed to the ground so he could move at his leisure. Their bodies trembled with anticipation as he gradually shifted inside her aching womanhood.

She released a sigh of contentment as he filled her. Her arms pulled tightly around his shoulders to hold him as close as she could. He arched to thrust into her and she gasped in pleasure, "Gods… Even better than I remember…"

He found a decent tempo and kept at it, grunting into her ear, "And they say third time's a charm."

She managed a strangled laugh as he slipped a hand to thumb at her sensitive nub. Her ankles came up behind him to lock together at the small of his back and keep his chest flush against hers. Their lips fused together once more as their tongues danced with hunger and fangs. His momentum increased gradually, bringing them closer and closer to the point of no return.

Tifa felt herself close to breaking again and willed herself to hold back until Cloud would go with her. Her fangs tingled with excitement, driving her to bite him, but she forced herself to hold back. She was a blueblood and he did have demon blood that she didn't.

"Oh…! Cloud… I… Please!" she gasped between breaths, urging him to complete them. Finally, he gave a grunt and, unable to hold back anymore, they released together. The pleasure coursing through her felt so much stronger than she remembered and she let her head drop back to the ground to catch her breath. After coming back to her senses, she paused and blinked as she realized she didn't feel nearly as exhausted as last time.

Cloud grinned above her, knowing what she was thinking, and said, "Vampire, remember? Super stamina."

A slow smirk came to her face as she pulled his face to hers for a kiss before murmuring, "Again?"

He shifted his hips in a mutual effort to tease her and to ready himself again. "I say we try to break the record of twelve times in one night."

_**Cloud**_

Morning really came too quickly. Everyone slowly starts to make their way out of the _fanum co__ïtus_ at once, taking a moment to get dressed again. I already have my pants back on as Tifa arranges the blanket around herself to cover her until she can get a new skirt. I grab my duster and her torn skirt—oops—from the floor and set my free arm around her waist to walk her out.

She leans closer to rest her head on my shoulder as we walk. We didn't break the record, or come relatively close, but those seven rounds were _awesome._ We walk down the hall back to my room so we can get changed before I have to meet with the council for last minute battle plans.

This is it. The fun is over. Before the day is over, we all go to battle. The point of the _Ultimus Amatoria_ is to celebrate life before we go off to die. I swear, Tifa and me _will_ be companionated before either of us dies. As the Dominus, I'll make sure she won't be put in too much danger…

"Cloud?"

I look over at her as we enter my room and feel a smile cross my lips immediately. Gods above, I love her… I love her so much… I will do everything I can to make sure she stays safe… I really wish Reeve hadn't nominated her for graduation so she'd be safe here in Orcus.

"Cloud, you're being broody and it's really not fitting for you."

I shake my head to snap out of my thoughts before pulling her against me. I press a kiss to her lips and run my hand through her hair. "I love you, Tifa."

She smiles at me and says, "I love you, too, Cloud. I always will."

I avert my gaze slightly and ask, "Why, Tifa? Why me?"

She gives me this look, still wrapped in the blanket, and sighs. "Cloud, do I really need to answer that? Especially after last night?"

I take a breath and touch my forehead to hers. "I don't know, Tifa. I just… I wonder. You're such a beautiful, beautiful woman and your soul is as beautiful as your face. I just wonder what it is that makes you love me, of all people."

Her arms snake up to wrap around my shoulders as she whispers against my lips, "Cloud… I can't choose who I fall in love with. Love just happens. But you know, you're not as inadequate as you think you are. You're strong, handsome, righteous, charismatic, and damn good at what we did last night."

Slowly, I bring my eyes back to meet hers. "You think so?"

She snorts. "Baby, I _know_ so. Unless that was someone else last night, I think I'd know."

I crack a smile and nuzzle my nose against hers. "I meant on the other traits."

"Oh." She grins. "Well, you _are_ drop-dead handsome. I had something of a school-girl crush on you the moment I laid eyes on you, but it was kind of pushed back by your creepy demeanor until I got to know you. And, well, you saved my life from that bastard in the alleyway. That was the first time I saw your strength in play. Only later did I find out you were a lot stronger than that. Cloud, you have the potential to be the strongest demon known to history."

I blink. While it is true that with my mortal blood being embedded with my demon, I am more attuned to the powers I gain, but it's still iffy. "Tifa, that's not true."

"Cloud, don't be modest." She smiles brightly at me. "Because of your blood, you have all the powers as they are whenever you drink a demon's blood. Imagine if you drank the blood of each council member?"

"Tifa, I…" I shake my head to get rid of thoughts of him. "I don't even want to think about that."

She shrugs. "Anyway, your need to lead Orcus to the defense of Gaia is enough to prove my other two points."

You see? This is why I love her so much. She's really too sweet to fit in here as a demon. I wonder how she'll fare in actual kill-or-be-killed combat. That's one curiosity I don't need answered, though. I pray we'll never have to find out.

…

I sit in council as we try to figure out a strategy. I clear my throat. Time to declare some authority. "I want teams of four, at least one physical specialist, one magical, and a witch or succubus on each team."

The council pauses to think this strategy over. Before any of them can argue, I say, "Companions stay together if desired with the exception of witch-and witch and witch-and-succubus pairs. We can't afford to allow two of them on one team. I know how I feel about Tifa and I don't want her away from me. Aerith? Do you want Zack in your group?"

She nods immediately. "Of course."

"Alright, then I want you, Zack, and Tifa on my team. You can make it your decision, I don't care. I want Squall, Rin, and Yuffie on good teams, too."

A voice sounds from Rufus's alcove. "I'll take them."

That voice… "What the hell are you doing here for?"

Vincent hops down into the center of the chamber. "Apologies, milord. As the former Dominus, I wished to see how our people would go to battle."

I sigh. "I'll talk to you later."

He nods before heading for the door. "Very well."

Geez… I liked him better when he didn't talk to me. The arrogant bastard… I call after him, "Squall is leading the team, just so you know! You sucked as the Dominus!"

Immature?

Damn straight.

* * *

Little less dialogue in this one, so it seems a lot shorter. The word count is what I go by and this chapter got to it, so… Yeeeaaahhh… We should get to the deployment to the mortal realm, if not the actual combat next chapter.

And I know some of you probably wanted the smex to be from Cloud's POV, I'm not really comfortable writing that in first-person just yet. Bear with me. I'm still learning the art(?) of writing sex scenes.

Review?

-Valk


	20. Chapter 14: Grief is the Light

For here on out, the war will be the main focus of the next couple of chapters… Next fifteen or twenty, I reckon, with a slight respite in the middle.

Thanks to **V-Ninja, Bubbles, windlight, Lunie, Bro, HartStrife, Rend, **and **CL2989** for their lovely reviews!

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Chapter 14  
**_**Grief is the Light**_

_**Cloud**_

I lay back on my bed, hands folded behind my head while thinking. It occurred to me that Rin and Yuffie can't be on the same team since they're a witch and a succubus, so I have to figure that out… I'm thinking I'll just split their team in half and keep Rin and Leonhart together and stick Yuffie with that bastard… But all the other teams are almost set, so I have to pick one to split up. Hn.

The door opens and I don't have to look to know who it is. I keep staring at the ceiling and feel a smirk cross my face as the bed sinks in near my feet. She crawls over me and a shiver runs down my spine as she starts pressing soft kisses to my abdomen. My smile widens as I raise my head to look at her. "And to what do I owe the pleasure?"

She looks up at me with a grin and runs her tongue over my abs in a slow and agonizing way before crawling up to kiss me on the lips. "You just looked a little stressed. I thought I would do my job as the Dominus's companion… to-be," she adds quickly.

I frown. We really shouldn't be 'to-be' anymore, dammit! I pull her up closer to me and press a kiss to her hair. "Tifa, you don't have to do anything as the Dominus's companion-to-be. You didn't ask for me to be an idiot and risk my life."

She giggles and strains up to press her lips to my chin. "Alright, then I'm doing as I want to as your individual companion-to-be. It's not a job and, at this moment, you're not the Dominus."

I grin again. "Fair enough."

A knock sounds at the door and I sniff. Werewolf. Zack. "Come on in!"

He walks in and points his thumb over his shoulder. "You two got a sec? Aerith wants to talk to you."

Tifa and I exchange a quick glance. This is the time when everyone is supposed to be preparing for battle. What could she want? I nod to Zack and jump to my feet, hoisting Tifa over my shoulder in the process. I grin as she squeals in surprise. "Let's go, Zack."

_**Tifa**_

Zack held the door open for the young couple and then backed out into the hall with a nod to his companion. Tifa watched him leave and, before she could ask, Aerith answered her question, "This discussion is going to be awkward enough. The last thing the two of you need is Zack around to make it more disturbing."

Cloud raised both eyebrows simultaneously as he glanced around Aerith's and Zack's room. Aerith carried a teapot to the small, four-seat table while three mugs floated over her other hand. As she set the items on the table, she gestured for the two of them to sit. They did as was asked and waited as the millennia-old woman poured tea. Finally, she took a seat across from them and folded her hands in front of her.

Tifa raised her tea to her lips slowly as her lover played at the rim of his mug. The latter finally asked, "So, what is this about?"

Aerith gave a sigh and leaned back slightly. "I'll get right to the point. The two of you are utter idiots."

"Huh?" they intoned together. "What do you mean?" Tifa added.

The other woman sighed again. "When the two of you slept together five years ago, you really had no idea what you were getting into. This conversation is usually had between a couple and their parents during the first phase, but…"

Tifa raised her hand like a mortal child in school. "First phase?"

Cloud looked to Aerith for permission to answer and, once she nodded, said, "The first phase of the companionation ceremony. There are a total of three. The first is basically a formal gathering to introduce the parents and siblings of the two being companionated as family."

Aerith nodded and continued, "Seeing as to how neither of you have demon parents—that you recognize—it's up to me to tell you this."

"Okay…" Tifa bit at her lip. "So what is it?"

"As demons, your anatomy consists of a barrier much like a female mortal's virginity. Both males and females have something to the extent among our kind."

"And…?" Cloud leaned back in his chair, bored already, while playing with a lock of Tifa's long hair, twisting it into a braid.

"And," the witch continued, "it keeps us at our full strength; allows our essence to fully reach every extent of our bodies. Once it is broken, our essence is free to leave and we're left drained."

Cloud looked up with a bit of Tifa's hair in his mouth. "What can we do about it?"

Aerith gave a secret smile. "What is the source of a demon's power?"

The couple exchanged a glance and Tifa uncertainly offered, "Mortals?"

Her hands folded again and she nodded. "Correct."

"So…"

"So, in order to gain essence from them… What do you think has to be done?"

They glanced at each other and held a silent conversation. Their eyes widened at the same time as they reached a conclusion and, slowly, they turned to face the mother figure before saying together, "…Sex?"

"Oral sex, yes."

They fell back in their chairs simultaneously and sighed. Cloud kept playing with Tifa's hair as he asked, "Why didn't we know about this earlier?"

"Honestly, it's not expected to be told until two demons are companionated. Most demon parents don't expect their children to run off and sex a mortal girl, effectively getting her turned into one of their kind."

Cloud gave a sheepish grin and pulled Tifa closer. "Oops."

Aerith sighed. "Now, you pay for the consequences. This exchange of essence is only ever done during a war or in emergencies. We're usually fine enough without it."

The only male present lit up with understanding. "So, that's why I felt so much stronger that first morning five-and-a-half years ago?"

Aerith held up a hand to stop him. "I don't need to know what exactly you did, but to answer your question, it's likely."

_**Cloud**_

Tifa and I walk out of Aerith's room with our heads bowed and our fingers linked. I can't believe this… I _have_ to have sex with a woman who isn't Tifa? This is stupid. This is just so fucking stupid!

"Cloud…?"

Huh? I glance over at her to see a light pink dusting across her cheeks. She keeps her eyes on her boots as she finishes, "Um, I… I think… I think we should go our separate ways when we have to… you know…"

"Why? I'm not gonna let some mortal bastard do something he-"

"Exactly." She raises her beautiful red eyes to meet my eyes. "I know that I would never be able to stand by and do nothing if I saw you with another woman. I'd have to hurt her in so many painful ways. I get the feeling you'd have a similar reaction to me being with another man."

Damn, she's right. If he so much as looks at her wrong, I'll-

"Cloud, you know the whole point of this is to wind up in bed, right?"

I sigh and turn away. "Yeah, I know." This whole thing sucks! Damn, damn, damn!

…

Now, we wait. Everyone stands around the _Magnus Aditus_ as Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie ready it for use. All the council members oversee their own breed and clear them on any questions they have. A few minutes later, each team of four groups together and I notice Yuffie floating around with Vincent, Reno, and Rude, a titan. Rin and Leonhart wound up with a pair of companions named Selphie and Irvine, a gale and a straightarrow. Next to snakes, straightarrows are the best at sneak attacks. More like one-shot-kills are their specialty. Head shots. Bang.

Tifa and I wait with Zack and Aerith, all of us dressed in mortal clothes brought back to Orcus. I have a pair of tight jeans, a tight black undershirt, and an assortment of bands and chains to make my rosario blend with a 'gothic' look.

Tifa has tight black jeans and a red and black corset top. She, too, has a bunch of weird jewelry, but so does every other vampire… and to complete our look is none other than black-tipped hair and red streaks, courtesy of a new potion Yuffie concocted that keeps the color permanent until washed out with another kind of potion.

Aerith wears a pink dress with faded blue jeans underneath and a pink scarf in her long hair. She looks like something out of the nineteen-fifties. Zack has a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt, and a short-sleeved open button-up shirt over top. He, luckily, doesn't have to wear all this crappin' jewelery… He does have one of those brown, beaded necklace-collar-things some guys wear nowadays, though. The dog can't be without his collar, now can he?

A thought occurs to me and I look up at Aerith. "Wait, what about the _Ultimus Amatoria_?"

She sighs and looks at me. "What about it?"

"Just about everyone went crazy last night. Shouldn't they all have to that essence thing?"

She touches her fingers to her forehead with one hand and reaches out to swat me with the other. I duck out of the way as she says, "Stop thinking like a mortal."

"Huh?"

"Don't you think we take precautions? There's a spell surrounding the chamber to protect everyone."

…Oh. "Well, now you tell me."

Tifa gives a small giggle and holds onto my arm. I really wonder how she'll hold up that gothic appearance. She reaches out a little and I meet her halfway to hold her hand. "Cloud, be honest. I wouldn't be here in Orcus if we hadn't done what we did. We can deal with the consequences."

I sigh. "I know. It still sucks, though."

Angeal moves up to the front before the _Magnus Aditus_ and clears his throat to catch everyone's attention. I turn to watch him—as does every other demon—as he says, "The gateway is ready. Now, we go to war!"

Here we go. Time to fight. I squeeze Tifa's hand a little tighter for mutual support and feel her squeeze back. She moves up to stand right next to me as a deafening war cry sounds out around us and I wrap my arms around her. I pull her to my chest in a hug and rub my hands up and down over her back. Six years ago, I never would've thought I'd fall so hard and fast for her… But, Queen of the gods, do I love her…

The three ripples pass across the _Magnus Aditus_ and Angeal shouts, "The _Aditus_ will randomly distribute each team of four to a different location. After so many locations, it will loop around, so wait to make sure no else comes out behind you. Unless you're under attack, of course. Take cover and follow the instructions of your team leader. Now, to battle!"

I turn to Aerith, still holding Tifa, and ask, "I thought we were going to Midgar?"

She nodded. "Don't worry. I spoke to Angeal and he configured the gate to make sure our specific genetics get transported to Midgar. He set a few others, too, so don't go off feeling special."

"The full extent of an artisan's abilities really makes me wonder sometimes…"

Without responding, she walks up towards the gate. "Let's go. It's time."

I nod and gently pull Tifa along as Zack lifts a trunk filled with our necessities. "Come on, Tifa. I'll be with you the whole time. Don't worry."

She looks up at me and whispers, "Cloud, I… I'm scared… You know I love you and I trust you, but I grew up with some of these people."

"I know. That's why we're going to Midgar and not Nibelheim or Corel. It won't be quite as hard, then."

"But, Cloud… My parents are in Midgar."

"I know. Don't worry. We'll make sure they're okay. I won't let anything happen to them."

Oh, if only I knew how wrong I was.

* * *

So! How's that for a cliffie? I know this one was kind of uneventful, but I hope their discussion cleared up some questions about the rules of Orcus for you. So, then. We'll have the battle start up next chapter. My goal is to make it mildly gory, but I'm not sure I can write that that well. Anyway, be on your guard for mildly disturbing concepts.

Now, then… I realized I forgot the question for the last few chapters. *fail* So here we go! Do you think Cloud will ever forgive Vincent?

Review?

-Valk


	21. Chapter 15: Dark Days to Forget

Sorry this has taken me so long. I've been busy with prompts for Springkink on LiveJournal. I'll post what I write for that here, too, so keep some patience, okay? Unless you have an LJ, then feel free to look me up! Oh, and there's still claiming going on, so stop by and see if there are any prompts that suit your fancy!

Special thanks to **HartStrife, V-Ninja, Dis, Lunie, Bubbles, Rend, **and** mc**! I'm sorry if I haven't gotten to replying to all of you. Like I said, I've been a little busy. Plus, I'm temp-modding the Advent Awards while the regular mod is away, so if you make icons, be sure to stop by! There's a link on my LJ page, which is my homepage on my FFnet profile. Confusing, I know. Oh, and I regularly mod for the Cloud Awards and we need tons more entrants! Please, stop by there, too!

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Chapter 15  
**_**Dark Days to Forget**_

_**Tifa**_

They jerked to a stop, soaking wet after traveling through the strip between realms. Tifa looked up at the tall buildings of Midgar and bit her lip. Though it had only been her home for a week, she'd grown fond of it and of the memories she'd had of Cloud and her there. The scene before her looked nothing like she remembered… She clapped a hand over her mouth as she took in all the twisted limbs of mortals—some detached from their bodies.

Cloud set a hand on her shoulder in mild comfort. She nodded and blinked back her tears, looking straight up as a bolt of pure light crashed down right in front of her feet. A man dressed in pitch black snarled down at the four demons and, as Zack transformed to his wolf form, Cloud pulled Tifa under an awning to draw the flying god to their level.

Aerith stayed where she was and raised a hand, snapping her fingers. A loud burst sounded out and the sky lit with her fire spell, sending small burnt crisps to the ground. Tifa watched in horror and Cloud said, "Don't worry. There's inflamed stone within that spell. It's not-" He paused as a smoldering and cauterized arm slammed into the ground in front of them. "Never mind. I take back what I said."

When no other limbs fell, Cloud started to move out and Tifa shakily followed. She grabbed hold of Cloud's arm and whispered, "I'm scared, Cloud…"

Zack turned into his human form again and lifted their trunk as Aerith said, "Come. This is the deserted crack area of town. The gods do a better job cleaning up in the more populant areas. Those will be easier to handle and, as always, keep your senses peaked for gods."

Cloud nodded and pulled Tifa away from the disfigured gore left behind. They walked down the streets behind Aerith as she led them to a particular apartment building and went inside. Cloud raised an eyebrow as she stopped by the front desk and said, "Hello. I'm Tethys Sands, this is my husband, my brother, and his girlfriend-"

Cloud spoke up in the back, "Fiancée."

"Right. Anyway, I called about renting one of your two-rooms?"

The man looked down under the desk and picked up a clipboard, flipping through the pages. He stopped at one and looked up with a smile. "Ah, yes. Mrs. Sands, I recall now. This way."

He led the way to the elevators and to room four-fifteen, using a key to open the door. "I must say, I'm a tad surprised that you just up and rented without even getting a tour."

Aerith gave a small smile. "We just moved to town and the apartment we were going to live in was located near an area where those murderers were operating. We decided to go for something in a safer neighborhood and we needed it right away."

"Ah, I understand. All those murders are just horrible… I can't believe anyone would do something like that… I can't believe someone could. And for so long without being caught… What kind of world do we live in?"

"I wish I knew."

"Anyway, could I ask all of your names?"

"Oh!" Aerith turned to look at the others and set her hand on Zack's arm with a sweet smile. "This is my husband, Gerik, my brother," She gestured towards Cloud. "Joshua Hall, and his fiancée, Marisa Flash."

"I see. It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I'm Balthier Bunansa, the landlord of this building." He pulled a piece of paper off the clipboard and gestured over to the kitchen counters. "Can I ask all of you to print your names on the dotted line and sign on the solid one?"

"Of course." Aerith followed Balthier to the kitchen and the others followed. Tifa looked around at the fully-furnished apartment. The place was nice. A lot nicer than the place her parents rented and, honestly, they weren't near the poor side in any way. She could only wonder how much this apartment cost per month and how Orcus got the money to fund it.

Cloud wandered down the single hallway and opened the doors. He grinned and pointed in one room. "Dibs."

Tifa gave a small laugh and ran down to look. She gave him a playful punch on the shoulder and said, "I find it unlikely that-" She paused to remember the fake name. "-Tethys will let us have the master."

He shrugged and set a hand on her chin to pull her closer for a kiss. "The other room better have a big bed. The twin was really nasty for two as flexible as us."

Tifa made a face at him in an effort to keep up her goth look and turned back to the kitchen where Aerith held the pen up towards them. "Your turn."

Cloud walked over and took the pen, glancing down at the paper as if looking for where he was supposed to sign. He snuck a peek up at Aerith and whispered under his breath, "What's my name again?"

She sighed and whispered back in a low enough voice for his vampiric hearing, "Joshua Hall."

"Right." He jotted the name on the paper and stepped back as Tifa walked over, signing 'Marisa Flash' without a pause.

She walked back over to Cloud and leaned against him, pressing a soft kiss to his lips before musing, "Mm… Marisa Hall… I'll never get tired of saying that."

He grinned and played the part, pulling her closer for another kiss while whispering for her ears only, "Tifa Strife sounds better."

"Yeah, but demons don't take each other's names, so this'll have to do."

He looked up and spoke, "Hey, Tethys, Gerik. Is there anything else you need us to do?"

Zack looked up from where he stood beside his companion. "Why don't you two take a look around and see if anything is off while Teth and I handle the paperwork?"

Balthier paused while flipping through papers and said, "The whole floor was just remodeled, so this unit has all new appliances. The floors are brand new and the walls have just been painted. Let me know if anything doesn't seem right."

Aerith smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Bunansa."

Tifa nodded towards Zack and grabbed Cloud's hand before pulling him back to the other rooms. The single bathroom was colored in white and greens. Good enough, Tifa reasoned. It was clean and looked up-to-date, as promised. They went back to the master, where a queen-sized canopy bed stood in the middle with matching nightstands, a dresser and armoire, a sitting chair, and a vanity.

Cloud and Tifa raised their eyebrows together at the expense put into the room before backing out and looking in the room across the hall. They froze when they saw two twin beds and cherry furnishings that matched the ones in the master, if only a little less engraved.

They exchanged a glance and moved back out to the kitchen where Aerith and Zack were just finishing things with the landlord. Zack looked up at the two and asked, "Does everything look good?"

Tifa opened her mouth to speak but stopped when Cloud cut in, "Everything's great… Except there're two twins in the second room."

Balthier touched a hand to his chin. "You know, I think there might be an extra queen in storage. The tenants from the second floor moved in with their own furniture, so I packed away the apartment-owned pieces. Granted, it's not as extravagant as the queen in this unit's master, but it's a queen and I assure you, the mattress is in wonderful condition."

"Sounds great!" Tifa gave a grateful smile. "Will it cost extra to use it?"

"Not at all! But it's already late, so I'll call the crews and have them switch the beds tomorrow. Is that alright?"

Cloud took a half-step forward. "If you show us where it is, we can switch them. We're stronger than we look."

"Well…" Balthier paused. "I suppose. It just doesn't seem right to have tenants do the work."

Aerith gave a little laugh. "If they want the queen size, they can do the work for it."

"Well… If you insist. Perhaps it would be easier to take apart the twins and move them down before getting the queen? I'll get you some tools and then check on the queen while you work on that."

Cloud grinned. "Thanks!"

_**Cloud**_

Two hours later, Tifa and me sit back on our queen-sized bed. Sure, it's not as fancy as Zack's and Aerith's, but who gives a crap? Still feels pretty comfortable and now I can sleep next to Tifa without falling out of the twin all the time.

I sigh. I hate this war. "Tifa, I won't lie. This war will be hard. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you stay safe, but I…"

"Cloud." She sits up to look at me. "I'm a vampire. I can fight. I took martial arts classes as a mortal."

"But look how that worked out in that alley."

Her eyes narrow and she turns away. "That was a long time ago."

Shit. Why can't I control my mouth? "Tifa, I… I just want to keep you safe. If something happened to you, I'd-"

"What? You'd what?" Crap. I really don't like where this conversation is going. "You lose your regular sex allotment?"

I slap my forehead. "Tifa, you're smarter than this. You know I'm not just in this for sex. We couldn't even do it for five years and we both stayed loyal to that. I love you. I fell in love with you the moment I laid eyes on you."

"Then why all this manly bravado to 'fight for my honor'?"

"It's not bravado, Tifa. I just want you to be safe. I want us to be companions and I want for us to spend the rest of our lives together."

She climbs off the bed and walks towards the kitchen. "I need something to drink. If you know what's good for you, you'll stay here and let me think."

I sigh and watch her leave. Wait. When a girl says she doesn't want to be followed, does that mean she does? I remember Zack saying something along those lines at some point. Women are so confusing… Fuck this. I'm following.

I jump off the bed and walk out to the main room to find Zack cleaning the counters after dinner and Aerith nowhere in sight. She must be in her room. Tifa sits on the couch, facing away from me with a glass of blood.

Zack gets a clue and turns, walking back towards his room after calling a goodnight to Tifa and nods to me as he walks past. I take a breath and walk over towards the couch and sit down next to her, just watching her in silence while waiting for her to make the first move.

She doesn't look at me as she says, "I thought I told you not to talk to me?"

I watch her as she swishes the blood in her glass. "Tifa, you know damn well that I'd never hurt you. We've been together for five years. We've each had all five of the dreams—the approval of the spirits—and now we're going to throw that away because I want to keep you safe? That seems pretty stupid to me."

"Cloud." She finally twists on the couch to look at me. "I love you. But I can't have you constantly looking out for me like I'm your little sister or something. Please, trust me. I can fight."

I reach out and take her free hand. "Tifa, you know I trust you. I just… I know you have the skill, but I can't help but wonder if you have what it takes to kill. You're so pure-hearted… You don't belong as a demon warrior." I shift my eyes to glance down at the floor. "You never should have gotten to this life. You would've been so much better off if we never met."

A sharp sting crosses my face and a hard fist meets with my gut. Damn… I look back up at her to see tears in her eyes and her fist still raised. "Why do you have to be such a jerk? You know I'm happy to be with you! Why can't you get that through your abnormally thick skull?"

I pry the glass out of her hand and set it on the coffee table before pulling her close. "Tifa… Why can't you understand that I just want you to be safe?"

Her shoulders shake as she leans into me and I wrap my arms even closer around her. "C-Cloud… I…" She pulls back and pushes her tears back roughly. "I hate this! I hate being so… so _human._ I want to be able to fight like the others, to be able to fight for Orcus and my friends and you without being so afraid… I wish I could be cold-hearted like other demons…"

"Tifa." I touch my fingers to her lips and raise her chin so I can look in her eyes. "Stop that. Stop talking like that. You know I love you just the way you are. Just let me protect you. Let me protect you and I'll let you kick me every time my brain misfires and my mouth goes off when it shouldn't."

She blinks back her tears and I pull her against me again, stroking a hand over her hair. Her voice comes out a little shaky as she says, "Cloud… I just want to fit in more."

"Tifa. You don't have to fit in. The best hearts are always the ones that stand out in the crowd. I'm just lucky to have a beautiful woman like you love me for who I am. My genetics make me so unstable, but you not only love me, but you support me and take care of me during my moments. I really don't deserve you, but I want to. I want to be able to protect you."

"C-Cloud…" Her tears fall faster and it takes everything I have not to break down with her. I'm not one to cry—mortal-demon cross moments aside—but just seeing her like this makes me want to. As carefully as I can, I lift her up and walk back to our room before kicking the door shut and setting her on the bed. I crawl up next to her and hold her close, letting her cry herself to sleep on my bare chest.

_**Aerith**_

Aerith stood in the kitchen the next morning, using the mortal conventional oven to brew some of the potions taught to her by the succubuses. Zack sat on the counter near her, handing her herbs as she asked for them while fiddling with a necklace bearing two fangs of different sizes, one obviously werewolf. Aerith raised an eyebrow at him while stirring the contents of a pot and asked, "Isn't that disturbing for you?"

He gave a laugh and tossed the fangs in the air before catching them. "They're my parent's. You know I always wear it. My brother wears the other set."

"I remember." She gave a rueful smile. "The last memories I had of my parents are long gone. They were killed with my older sister in the same war when I was only a hundred."

He nodded and touched her shoulder. "I remember you telling me that. Say, what was your family like?"

She turned back to her pots as she let the memories come forward. "Most demons nowadays see me as some sort of super-being just because I've lived for so long. But it becomes difficult after so long. You know, Zack, the way I treated you… I'm sorry. There's no excuse for me to treat you the way I did. I just… I was unprepared for companionship and I didn't realize how to go about with love… I'm sorry."

Zack slid off the counter and pulled her into a hug. "Aerith… Don't. Just don't." He grinned. "No harm done!"

She managed a smile and looked up to see in his eyes. "Thank you."

"Hey, now…"

"Not for forgiving me, Zack."

"Then for what?"

"For giving love with me a chance. There are so many that would avoid me just because of my age…"

He grinned even wider. "Well, it's not unlike me or my lineage to go off and do something that others could judge for."

"Yes, you do come from a long line of Fair-wolves."

He laughed. "Were we seriously called that?"

She gave a slow nod as she turned back to stir the contents of one pot. "Mm-hm… The name dropped around your grandmother's generation."

He snorted. "I never knew that."

She smiled and nodded. "Your grandmother hated that name and vowed never to use it. She'd personally rip the throat out of anyone who used it. Or try to, if her steadfast companion hadn't been by her side to stop her."

"Heh. Ol' Nana Fair could kill with one claw if she wanted to."

"That she could. I saw her do it once."

"Really?"

"Mm-hm. It was just after you were born, actually."

"Was it my fault?"

"Don't flatter yourself."

"So, why did she do it?"

"You."

"But you said-?"

"I said that because it's nothing to be proud of. She killed your mother because she thought she'd borne two sons of her breed and no werewolves, but after she killed her, she realized her mistake…"

Zack looked down at his shoes. "No one's ever told me that. Not even my big brother… He would've been almost a hundred when I was born, so he should remember."

"Actually, he doesn't know. He was on a mission in Gaia when it happened and the council and Dominus at the time covered it up."

"Does Cloud know?"

"Zack, I didn't even tell him about his father, I wouldn't tell him about your parents when you didn't even know."

* * *

Sorry I didn't get to more battle in this chapter. I honestly planned on it to be more of a fight chapter, but I guess they wanted to talk. Sorry. We'll see more blood next chapter, 'kay?

What FF characters do you think will show up as gods throughout this story?

Review?

-Valk


	22. Chapter 16: When You Are With Me

Okay, I'm aware that this is waaayyy overdue, but I've been trying to get ready for the new semester of school. Plus, I've had a really nasty case of writer's block. It's only thanks to ValentineNinja's constant kicks that I finally got this done. Yay!

Thanks to **V-Ninja, Bubbles, CT2989, Rend, Ulti-Ninja, Lunie, ReNe, HartStrife, Trev, **and **SSF2357** for their wonderful reviews! I did get the slight spark to write whenever I found one in my inbox, but my writer's block was too rough… I'm sorry, guys. I hope you'll still be around!

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Chapter 16  
**_**When You Are With Me**_

_**Cloud**_

The sound of an explosion sounds outside the demolished warehouse and I pull Tifa closer as she cringes. Aerith and Zack lean against the wall opposite of our little hallway-slash-cover, the latter in full fur an' fangs form.

My mentor stands and peers out the window above my head. "It's time to move. Are you two ready?"

I glance at Tifa and she gives a slight nod before standing up. "I can do this."

I rise up next to her and squeeze her hand before nodding. "Let's get this over with."

Zack howls his agreement and bends down so Aerith can climb on his back as I turn and leap out the second-story window. Tifa drops down next to me and Zack and Aerith come down after she steps aside. Immediately, all hell breaks loose. We jump out of hiding and throw an ambush on a squad of six gods, flying into the fray.

Aerith's elemental powers take too much strain for an ongoing battle like now, so she sticks to casting her specialty green magic. Adrenalin spikes through my body as Haste takes its effect and I jump forward, lashing a kick to a cleric's face. Between the strength and speed of it, I probably could've dislodged a human head from their shoulders, or at least broken their neck.

An angel swoops in from my left just as I land back on my feet, but with the enhanced speed, I kick off the ground and tackle the bitch out of her flight. The cleric I kicked comes up behind me with a sword—I can smell that god-awful metal—so I launch a kick behind me to throw him off-balance.

Tifa gives a squeal from somewhere behind me and I chance a look to see her going one-on-one with a valkyrie. An upper class god breed, but this one looks to be pretty immature. Tifa can handle her. I call over my shoulder to her, "Think of this as your training! A battle to unconscious!"

I turn and duck under the sword. A quick leap to the side has me dodging a light bolt and I jump under the angel and slam my claws into her chest. She squeals in agony and I dig deeper, grinning as the blood pours around my hand. Luckily, between my vampire hunger and my blueblood state, this blood smells rancid. Her wings fail her and she drops down to her knees. I can't stop myself and I dig even deeper, ripping her heart right from her chest.

The cleric stares in disgust at the bloody cavity in his fellow god's chest and then lunges towards me. I throw the heart and reach out to catch his sword in one hand and press my bloody hand to his forehead. With grin, I let my flames come forward and hope Tifa's not watching. A second later, a rush of blue flame flashes over the alleyway before the cleric's brains splatter against the wall.

I look up to find Zack through with his two gods and Aerith sweeping the dust off her hands after hers. I look over to Tifa to see her connect a jumping roundhouse to the side of the valkyrie's head. The blow knocks her out and she looks over to me with a saddened look. Damn it, I hate what this war is doing to her. She shouldn't have to fight like this! She's too pure to be a warrior!

I make my way over and pick up the valkyrie's limp body before catching her in the right hold and pulling to snap her neck. I'll do all I can to see that Tifa won't have to kill. She gives me this weak smile, silently thanking me. With the haste spell still in effect, I rush around behind her before she knows I moved and wrap my arms around her waist.

Instinctively, she rams he elbow against me and I grin, kissing her neck to let her know it's me. "Easy, girl. It's me."

"Oh…" She turns in my arms with a sheepish smile, frowning after a second. "Cloud…?"

I blink. "Huh?"

"You have a, uh, a part of something on your cheek."

"Oh, that's probably part of that cleric from back there." I nod my head towards the body.

She cringes slightly at the gore and shakes her head, knowing she'll see much more before the war is over. "Uh… I think I'll wait to kiss you until you get cleaned up."

_**Tifa**_

She sat up in bed that night, creeping ever so quietly towards the door so as to not wake her beloved. Making her way out to the living room, she donned her Orcus-regular leather and carried her boots out to the hall. She got down to the first floor of the apartment complex and slipped her boots on before heading out the door.

"Going somewhere?"

She mentally scolded herself for not catching his scent earlier and turned on her heel to face him. "Cloud-"

He pushed himself off the wall and over to her. "You're not going without me."

She nodded, not even bothering to argue. "Okay. Thank you."

He touched her cheek before pulling her into a hug. "Come now, you know I wouldn't let you do anything like this on your own."

"Still…"

He grinned quickly and asked, "Think you know the way this time?"

"Even if I don't recognize it, I can smell it this time."

"Let's go, then."

…

Tifa finished vaulting up the elevator shaft and swallowed her spit at the sight of the blood everywhere. Her legs started to turn weak and Cloud came up behind her, holding her middle to support her. "Come on. They could still be okay. They might not live here anymore."

It was a false spark of hope and they both knew it. They could smell their recent tracks in the building. She nodded shakily and moved forward, pulling on the doorknob and snapping it clean off. Twisting, she launched a kick to the door to open it and took a quick glance inside. Her breath left her lungs in a rush and she ran forward, dropping to her knees beside the bloody gore on the floor.

Her father laid there, torn clear into two pieces at the waist, his blood already stained on the carpet and the life long escaped from his body. She pulled his torso into her lap as Cloud moved up behind her, silently offering his support to her. Her shoulders started to shake violently as the tears broke past her emotional guard and she pressed a light kiss to her father's forehead.

Cloud gently touched her shoulder and slowly pulled himself to his feet. "Stay here," he whispered, slowly heading back towards the other rooms of the apartment.

_**Cloud**_

I head back to Tifa's old room first. I'm not sure what I'll find, but I'm hoping her room will brace me for what I find in the other rooms. The door creaks open, one hinge snapped, and I blink. It looked almost the exact same as it did five years ago except the bloodstains and the portrait of Tifa smiling with the subscript, _Tifa Remira Lockhart. Born May 3rd, 1987. Died March 28th, 2004._

Hn. A memorial photo. Tifa's family must have missed her after she 'died.' I'll have to tell her that later. Now isn't such a good time, I think. I back out and check her brother's room, where I stayed that one night. More blood, but this time, there's a body on the ground. A young man, about the age Tifa said her brother would be. He reeks of gods, but that could just be the smell of his killers lingering.

I'm pretty sure her brother had brown hair. This guy fits the bill. Damn it… I hate that Tifa has to go through this… At least there's no chance that she'll wind up like me and suddenly find out that her dad isn't who she thought he was. Her mother must be either in the bathroom or her room. Or maybe down behind the counters in the kitchen, but there wasn't that much blood in there. Gods are prone to make a mess, as if showing that they don't grant mercy to those who cross them.

I slip across the hall towards her parents' room, sneaking a glance towards her. She's still clutching her father's body and crying. I just need to finish this up so I can get Tifa away from here. I check her parents' room and grit my teeth at the sight of the dismembered body on the bed.

Wait…

That's not her mother. Her mother's blonde. This woman has brown hair. I walk a little closer and examine the body quickly. It's female, but not her mother. This girl is definitely a god, but… what did this to her? I'm pretty sure that hole in her chest came from a light bolt. Demon magic doesn't fray the innards like that.

Maybe her mom ducked out of the way and made one of the gods shoot the other… I dunno. That's weird, though. Anyway, her mom isn't here, so I guess I have to check the rest of the apartment.

_**Tifa**_

She knelt on the floor, holding her father's body to her as Cloud looked for her mother and Genesis. He came out a minute later and she looked up at him with eyes so full of hope, only for him to shake his head slowly. He sank down to his knees beside her and held her tightly, choosing not to speak as her tears burst forth against his shoulder again.

"Tifa…" he whispered, pulling back from her and nudging her towards the door. "Come on, let's go. There's nothing here anymore."

He pulled her to her feet, but she kept clinging to the body. "But… But…"

Finally succeeding in getting her hands free, he pulled her against him. "Don't worry. We don't have time for a proper funeral by mortal or demon standards, but we'll give them peace."

Her chin nestled into his shoulder as she started to cry again, her hands fisting around the straps of his duster. His hands stroked her back as he slowly walked her out the door, kissing her temple before raising his free hand towards the open passageway. Her face stayed buried in his shoulder as he summoned his flame and launched it towards the apartment, devouring the interior in seconds.

Cloud scooped Tifa up in his arms, making for the window at the end of the hall and jumped out, thrusting his feet first to absorb the brunt of the glass. By the time he landed roughly on the sidewalk, he glanced around and set Tifa down, glancing up to see the bright blue flames already engulfing the floors above and below where she had lived once upon a time.

Tifa choked her tears back for a moment and managed to say, "But what if there were others in there? Alive?"

He shook his head. "The gods don't work that way. The only reason they'd leave someone alive would be to spread the fear. If that was the case, I imagine any such unlucky soul would have run by now."

She nodded slowly. "Cloud…?"

"Yeah?" he replied, pulling her back into his arms and making quick work of the path leading back to their temporary home.

"Can I ask you something… something dark?"

"Tifa, I'm a vampire. Can it get more 'dark' than that?"

"In our lives, it can and you know it."

"Fine, but, yeah. You can ask me anything. You know that."

"How is it…" She swallowed her remaining tears and tried again. "How is it you can be so comfortable with fire?"

He sighed once, still carrying her down the streets as mortals ran back and forth with the bustle of the fire behind them. "You mean because of Corel?"

"Well… Yeah."

He shifted awkwardly as he opened the door to their complex and silently made for the stairs up to the fourth floor. Sensing he wanted to talk without being disturbed, she pulled out her key to the place and opened the door as he kept on straight towards their room. He set her on the bed and climbed up next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder before dropping back to the pillows. "It's because of my blood."

She settled into his side, ignoring the blood staining her skirt. "What do you mean?"

"When I absorb new powers, I get them as-is. When you became a vampire, you had no idea how to use your powers, right?"

She nodded. "Right."

"Because my blood is so different, when I get new powers—like Squall's, for example—I get all the reflexes and training the original already had. Like with Squall, when I got his flare powers, I immediately had the ability to use the powers as he could."

"You mean you didn't have to get lessons with it?"

"Nope. I just… knew. I knew how to summon the flames, how to control them, how to move my body to compliment the attack… It was a really strange feeling. That is, once all my bones knit and I could actually move again."

She sat up a little to look him in the eye. "What do you mean?"

He chuckled. "You remember the first time you saw the _Pons Grandis_ and I told you about that time I was thrown over the edge? That would be my first real fight with Squall. I drank his blood, he got pissed and threw me over the edge. It was an interesting day."

"Oh…" She gave a light laugh, the events of the earlier night temporarily forgotten. "That sounds about right."

He shifted on the bed, resting one arm on her opposite side so he could touch his forehead to hers. "Tifa… I only tell you these things because you're you. If you were anyone else, I wouldn't say a word. It's weird… Not _weird_ weird, but exciting weird…"

She pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "What is?"

"How quickly I fell in love with you. I mean, if anything ever happened to you, I… I…"

"Cloud." She touched a finger to his lips to silence him. "I feel the same way. So don't go doing anything stupid, okay?"

He fell back onto the bed to lie next to her. "Alright. But you promise me the same, okay?"

She pulled herself up to kiss him on the cheek. "Okay!"

* * *

Thanks for reading!

Will Cloud or Tifa get more powers throughout this story? If so, which ones?

Review?

-Valk


	23. Chapter 17: Passion Washing Over Me

Oy… It's been awhile, eh? I've been a bit busy. I had a mild car accident at the end of November, heading in for day two of my first con -_- Nothing was broken and no one was hurt, but it still set me back due to pain and sleep. And _then_, after I just started feeling better, a week before Christmas, my laptop died. I sent him in for repairs and got him back three weeks later. So I couldn't write through most of my winter break. How cruel is that? Anyway, I'm back and I'll be trying to write during breaks in school. I'm taking medical terminology, so I'll probably be using big words as I learn them :P

_Huge_ thanks to all of the reviewers who I hope keep reading! Much love to **cheeriolord**, **xPhiieebeex**, **lightskiller**, **huyutfsakura**, **HartStrife**, **Rend**, **Cdgirl**, **ffangelwing**, **V-Ninja** ^_^, **Bro**, **SSF2357**, **Bubbles**, **CL2989**, **Trev**, and **Ulti-Ninja**!

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Chapter 17  
**_**Passion Washing Over Me**_

_**Tifa**_

Tifa laid back on hers and Cloud's bed, two weeks after discovering her family's fate. The two of them along with Zack and Aerith had just returned from a scout mission and the two elders had already retired for the night. Cloud was out in the kitchen, getting a glass of blood to sate his battle-enhanced senses.

A lot happened over the past few months. A war had started. She hadn't yet killed with her own hands, but she had witnessed too much death and destruction for her own tastes. She had seen her father murdered and Cloud had confirmed the rest of her family's deaths. The first week after that had been spent in tears, but she had finally run out and started to live again. Cloud had stayed by her side the whole time, holding her when he had no words for her.

The door opened and she looked up to find Cloud walking in, licking his lips clean of blood. Tifa gave him a small smile in greeting and he sighed, climbing up onto the bed next to her. He wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her close, pressing soft kisses to her neck. She gave a small giggle under his bombardment of affections, freezing when he turned her to face him and started with hungry, open-mouthed kisses.

"Cloud…" she whimpered against his lips. "Stop… You know we can't…"

"Fuck that, Tifa." He moved back slightly and rolled to sit above her, straddling her hips as he pulled at the laces of her corset. "We're so close to companions, the war is the only thing stopping us, and we've already had sex. On top of it all," He started to pull roughly at the laces as the tension in his body increased. "We have to go out and sex some fucking mortal tomorrow. I'm not going to sit by and let that happen without being able to freely love you."

"Cloud…" She squeezed her eyes shut as she fought with her body for her thoughts to flow properly. Finally, she gave a smile and wrapped her arms over his shoulders. "Alright. I'm with you."

_**Squall**_

Squall leapt over the gap between rooftops, turning to glance behind him as Rinoa floated over beside him, followed by Selphie the gale and her companion, Irvine the straightarrow. Nodding to his team, he wandered over and bent down, glancing at the group of gods busy at work with a small, unfortunate group of humans. With a sigh, he nodded to Irvine, who bent down into a comfortable position and swept one hand downward to make a bow made of pure energy appear.

He moved one hand over the notch and an arrow materialized into his hold as he pulled it back against the string. Taking his aim, he released it and watched as it sailed directly towards the skull of the god that appeared to be in command. The bolt of gold power connected before the god even knew it was coming and the four demons watched as the commander slumped over and the bolt faded.

All four of the gods turned to the direction the bolt came from, only to have a second bolt hit the forehead of one of them. Squall and Selphie leapt over the side, drawing their gunblade and nunchaku and met the remaining three in combat. Rinoa watched, knowing her allies would be more than enough to handle the few gods while readying a healing spell in the back of her mind. Her flare had a tendency to forget his own safety when fighting.

Just for fun, Squall ran the last one through the middle to make his death more painful. He readied his flame and brought it down towards his face, pausing as the god mumbled around his blood, "Just you wait… The prince is coming… His highness won't be happy…"

_**Cloud**_

The sun starts to creep into my vision and I give a groan, rolling over to bury my face in Tifa's gorgeous hair. Not only does it block out the sun, but it's super soft and silky, too. She starts to wake, too, and I burrow my way through her hair to press a kiss to her lips.

The bedroom door opens and a cheery voice chirps, "Good morning, Baby-Fuckers!"

Geez, Aerith. Way to have tact. Tifa groans and pulls herself out of the sea of bed covers and hair, propping herself in an inclined position while keeping the bedspread over her naked form. "Aerith… Do you have to be that way?"

She crosses her arms and gives a little glare. "You know you kept Zack up all night with the noise and smells, right?"

I snort. "As if you and Zack haven't done that for us on multiple occasions. You do know that we're vampires and can hear the couple three floors up going at it, right?"

Tifa rolled her eyes. "Those two are like clockwork. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, eleven p.m. It's ridiculous."

"Sometimes they take Wednesday off."

"True."

Aerith rolls her eyes. "That's your problem. I'm going to close this door behind me and I expect the two of you to be in the kitchen—_dressed_—in two minutes."

I shrug, the bedsheet bunched up around mine and Tifa's waists while she takes cover from Aerith's sight against my side. Aerith leaves and I twist slightly to kiss Tifa. That would've sounded weird if I said, _'Aerith leaves and I twist slightly to kiss _her_.'_ That makes it sound like I'm kissing- Blegh. It's gross just to think about it.

_Tifa_ giggles and says, "I guess we should get up."

"Do we have to?" I dig my face back into her gorgeously long hair and mumble, "I want to stay here forever."

She giggles and presses a kiss to my neck. "Come on, perv, let's go."

…

"Alright," Aerith says, standing before we three comrades, sitting on the sofa like children about to be punished. "Our next scouting mission is in the Sector three area. There hasn't been that much activity there in the past while, so we should be able to split into groups of two. Yes, Cloud, I'll be with Zack and you and Tifa will be together."

I fall back in my seat, satisfied. "Okay, so what are we looking for? Anything special?"

"No, just the norm. Gods on the loose, mortals in danger, demons in need of back-up, et cetera."

Zack gives a puppy yawn. "Can we go now?"

"Are your claws sharp?"

"Sharp as always."

"You two? Your fangs are sharp?"

I roll my eyes as Tifa answers, "Aerith, we're both bluebloods. We can't bite any non-vampires or gods."

Aerith shrugs and replies, "You know they should still be sharp, just in case."

I wrap an arm over Tifa's shoulder and sigh. "Yeah, yeah, Aerith. Don't worry. We sharpen them on each other's fangs while getting down with it."

Zack makes a gagging sound. "Puh-leese…"

I grin as Tifa giggles. "Deal with it, Zack."

_**Rinoa**_

Rinoa ran down the alleyways, skidding to a halt as her senses exploded with the feeling of a close god. She turned towards her flare and whispered, "Squall!"

He nodded, already well aware of the god's presence, and held a hand out to stop everyone else. Selphie and Irvine were already holding their weapons, the incredible power of the god resonating through the area. Rinoa cocked her head, focusing on the waves as they passed through her demon senses. She whispered to her teammates, "What _is_ it? I haven't sensed anything like that in my life…"

Selphie nudged her companion and said, "Irvine's the only one of us to participate in the last war. Do you know what it is?"

He shook his head, his ponytail waving back and forth. "No… Not a clue, Sefie…"

Squall turned to face Rinoa and asked, "Can you sense if it's magic or physical-oriented?"

She closed her eyes and focused on the abnormal entity. "It's on a pegasus. That I can sense. And a sword. It carries a sword."

"What about magic?"

"It has the power, but I don't think it's well-trained with it."

He addressed the whole group, "What do you guys think? A sick, twisted experiment on a human by mixing multiple forms of god blood in them?"

Selphie mulled it over and replied, "It's certainly possible. That would explain the lack of magic training."

Squall gave a curt nod. "Yeah. What say we rush it?"

His teammates nodded in unison and he and Selphie rushed out first, weapons at the ready, with Rinoa following after teleporting Irvine to the rooftop. Squall skid to a halt and stayed in a ready stance as he observed their opponent. A young man with brown hair, wearing the traditional white of gods.

The flare narrowed his eyes and called his gunblade in a bright flash. Rinoa watched him and cast a quick glance in the direction of the roof where Irvine sat with his energy bow at the ready. She acted on instinct and cast a blind spell on the god.

He waved his arm, the crimson sword held within flashing in the moonlight, and made the smoke disappear in an instant. Squall didn't let it get to him and charged, running a hand over his gunblade to ignite it in flames. His blow struck and the god didn't flinch, simply twisting his sword to block the demons'.

Rinoa clamped her teeth together, trying not to show how worried she was by the fact that he brushed off her strongest spell. There were better spells than Blind, but none that she was as good with. This guy was strong, if he could deflect her spell like that. Lady Aerith was, without a doubt, the number one witch, but she had declared Rinoa to be her second years ago. As her second, it was her duty to take the place of council member unless Aerith was challenged and defeated before her death. Every council had announced a second before the war began, just as precaution. She remembered how angry Squall had gotten when Lady Lightning announced the agile Edge Geraldine as her second instead of him.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She didn't need to be thinking this way. She had to focus on the fight. Taking a deep breath, she willed her power together to cast Pain, a combination of Blind, Poison, and Silence. He didn't have a mature magic ability yet, but she wanted to make sure he didn't practice now.

The god shoved Squall away and turned to glare at Rinoa, his lips moving, but no sound coming out. The witch smiled at the effect of her silence, glad that Squall and Selphie had kept him busy so he couldn't cancel the spell.

The god was in pretty bad shape, his clothes torn and charred where Squall had gotten some hits in on him and some wounds in both him and his pegasus from Irvine. Selphie had left her mark as well; several bruises poking out here and there from her nunchuck strikes.

His face twisted oddly and he clapped a hand over his mouth, vomit rising in his throat as Rinoa's poison spell took effect. The god reared up his pegasus and turned away, taking flight and leaving.

Rinoa smiled in relief as he left, shielding her eyes to the streetlights to see him fly away. "Well, at least that's over!" Wretching sounded behind her and she turned to see Squall leaning over, his hands on his knees for support. Shortly after, Selphie flowed suit and vomited on the pavement before wiping the excess off her chin. The witch smiled sheepishly and said, "Oops… Did I mention Pain targets a radius?"

_**Tifa**_

Tifa ran through sector three, Cloud scouting on his own just a few blocks away. With their vampiric hearing and speed, if she called for him, he could be there in just a few moments. Zack and Aerith were checking a different area, leaving the two youths to practice and investigate on their own. They had been walking the streets and checking, but then Cloud took off and made her chase him in a game of tag. Now, they comfortably did their patrol of the area of Midgar with the smallest amount of god sightings.

She leapt over the six-foot gate in an alleyway easily, her vampire abilities now second nature to her. Just six years ago, she wouldn't have—intentionally—stepped into a Midgar alleyway, but now she was taking them as shortcuts and leaping over fences as if they weren't there.

There was a freedom involved with her new body. According to Yuffie, a vampire's body was completely different than a human's. There was two percent body fat. The rest was muscle and bone, which is what made it so easy to jump and run. She had roughly sixty percent of her body weight was muscle, almost thirty percent more than the average human female.

And, damn it, the strength felt good. Raw power at a moment's notice. Just to test it, she pulled an empty soda can from the alley floor and stood it up, aiming with her foot to see how well she could crush it. She slammed her foot down and grinned when it flattened beneath her boot. Her smile widened when she remembered Cloud trying to crush a metal can in their apartment kitchen without shoes and wound up cutting his foot open on the sharp edges. A heal spell and soup later, he was grumpy as all get-out, but, as usual, he brightened up just a moment after Tifa started curling against him.

Now, she picked up the soda can she just flattened and examined it. Shrugging, she tossed it aside and stepped out of the alleyway, releasing a small yelp and diving back in when a small light bolt shot towards her.

She drew her claws and leapt back out, landing in a roll and jumping to her feet. She found a comfortable ready stance and turned to her opponent, freezing in her tracks as she recognized him.

"…Gen?"

* * *

Wow, so who saw that coming?

Your question today is… How will Tifa and Cloud handle her brother being a god?

Thanks so much for reading and sticking around! *Hugs and kisses*

-Valk


	24. Chapter 18: Endless Night

Ugh, it's been too long… I hate studying in the medical field. Actually, I love it, but I hate the lack of time off. Speaking of which, I've been thinking about my future and I've been considering joining a program that would give me next to nothing for time off. Just a warning, but the earliest I could start would be next spring.

And no matter what, my focus is going to be on this fic and a new Vampire Knight one. If anyone has any one fic that they want to see updated, please let me know. Also, I'll need the occasional person to slap me into writing the right thing. -_-

Many thanks to **Phiieeb, UltiNinja, Trev, Bubbles, Bro, **and **V-Ninja!** I love you guys so much! *Hugs*

And now for the continuation.

* * *

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears **

**Chapter 18  
**_**Endless Night**_

_**Genesis**_

He felt the strangle tingle on the back of his neck as another demon came near. He was really in no place to fight. He was battered and bloody from his fight with those other four demons. Not to mention, the nausea from that spell was still overpowering. He guided his pegasus around the corner, hoping to track down a priest or cleric soon. He knew he'd see a familiar face soon.

He just never expected it to be his long-thought dead sister.

_**Tifa**_

She shook her head in denial at the sight of her brother mounted atop a pegasus, a shocked expression on his face as well.

"Tifa…?"

She looked up, tears in her eyes. "I… I thought you were dead, Gen…"

"I thought you were… I… I went to the morgue… They'd found your body… Mom cried… Even Dad shed a fair share of tears."

"I'm so sorry, Gen."

"Tifa… I'm a god now. I…"

"I know."

"You're a demon…"

"Yes."

"We…"

Her tears fell faster and she burst out, "I can't fight you, Gen! You're my brother! I won't!"

A look of illness crossed his face and he reared his pegasus. "I have to go. We'll… We'll see each other again." He paused before leaving and added, "Please, go home. She won't show mercy."

_**Cloud**_

Don't ask how I knew, I just did. I knew Tifa was hurting, so I ran. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me in the direction of her scent. I leap from rooftop to rooftop, jumping over skylights and antennae until I find myself almost on top of her. I glance over the roof and spy her on the ground, kneeling in Midgar street waste and a pegasus flying away.

What the fuck did that god do to her?

I jump off the side and land on my feet, running to her side and skidding to a stop. Instinctively, I wrap my arms around her without needing to be told what's wrong. I still want to know, but I don't smell blood, so she isn't hurt. She smells perfectly normal, except for the salty scent of tears. She shifts, sitting in the wet street and leaning against me, her tears coming harder.

God, I hope Aerith is keeping her thoughts open. I close my eyes and pinpoint my thoughts toward Aerith, hoping she gets the message.

_Aerith! Something's wrong with Tifa! Retreat back to the apartment!_

A call comes back almost immediately, sounding out deep in the recesses of my brain, _Understood. Zack and I are on our way._

I offer a quick thought of thanks and turn to leave, scooping Tifa up in my arms and jump back to rooftops to get back as quickly as possible. I shove the main door open and race up the stairs, holding her as close to me as I can. It's not a common occurrence, but sometimes when a vampire receives a great shock, their whole system can start to shut down until they're left in a coma. That's why most of us seem so heartless. We steel ourselves so this doesn't happen. But… Something happened to Tifa that she wasn't expecting.

I sneak a glance down at her. She's shaking, her eyes empty and her thoughts detached. What the fuck did that god do to her? He's going to pay for this. I shove the apartment door open and kick it shut behind me. I make my way back to our room and set her on the bed, shifting down with her to hold her against me. "Tifa… What happened? I thought I was the one with the fucked up emotions?"

She doesn't reply, but only cries more. Damn… "Tifa, please…"

"G-Gen…"

Hope starts to flame up inside me. It's small, but it's a start. Any talk is good. "Tifa, what happened?"

"Gen…"

Gen? What the hell does 'gen' mean? Like, pathogen? Or is it short for 'Jennifer'? "Tifa, sweetheart. I need more than that."

"Gen is…"

Okay. We have an 'is.' I kinda figured 'gen' was something.

"Gen is… a god."

Wait, what? A god? What's this? Who?

My sweet, sweet vampire cries out, "Cloud!" and curls into me. I wrap my arms around her more tightly and press kisses to her hair. Damn, I'm not used to be the one offering comfort… It's usually Tifa comforting me. Damn! Uh, well, what does she do to help me? Besides that, you perv! Well, she hugs and kisses me, gets blood for me, talks me through my own uncertainties, slaps me when I'm being a moron. I don't think slapping or leaving to get blood would be any help right now. I'm already hugging and kissing her, and I'm trying to talk to her.

Uh… Crap. Where's Aerith? "Tifa. Who is Gen?"

"Gen is a god…"

"I know. But who were they before that?"

"Gen…" She shifts slightly and looks up at me, the tears flooding her eyes making my heart break. "Gen is my brother."

Her brother? But… I thought he was dead… I thought that was him in that bedroom. I guess… It must've been a human guest. He smelled too human. Or maybe he was a human who was just turned to a god. Damn… Tifa's brother… That's right. His name was Genesis. Duh. That makes 'Gen' make a lot more sense now. Alright, so… Now that I know the problem, how do I comfort her?

The bedroom door flies open and Aerith walks in, making her way over and sitting down on the bed behind Tifa. She runs a motherly hand over her shoulder before asking, "Alright, what happened?"

I can't do much more harm by saying it flat out, right? "Tifa's in shock. Her brother was turned into a god."

My mentor and foster mother nods slowly. "I'll take care of her. You go get some blood in her system."

"No. I won't leave her. Not like this."

She sighs. "Iurgium, You won't want to see what I have to do." She pauses and shrugs. "Then again, it might do you some good to see. _Liga!_"

Ah, crap. Somehow, I knew she would do this. I hate her fucking Bind spells. Damn, I doubt every vampire's two hands of ten fingers could count how many times she's done this to me. I mean, really. I was—am—a rambunctious kid.

But… what does this mean for Tifa if Aerith feels she has to restrain me? I don't like this…

She turns to look at Zack and he braces, almost as if he's going to transform. What…? In one, quick sweep, Aerith grabs Tifa's rosario and whips it off. Uh-oh…

"So you see, Iurgium." Aerith smiles softly. "This isn't going to be pretty. To drive a vampire away from despair, you must make them stop thinking about it first. Taking away their rosario brings them to a state of near madness. She'll forget all her troubles and simply want to tear the nearest living thing to pieces."

Um, Aerith? I'm still frozen over here…

"Oh, right." She laughs as if she's humored by this whole mess. "_Aperta!_"

I suck in a breath and gently touch Tifa's hair. Her hand reaches out and grabs my wrist, holding it still, as she lifts her face from the pillow and slowly draws her fangs closer to my wrist. Not good. I press my free hand to her forehead to force her back while shouting, "Tifa! You can't have my blood! It's messing me up as it is! Go bite Zack or Aerith!"

She lets go, the black tattoos spreading out from the corners of her eyes and stretching back to her hairline, before looking around to find the two other demons present. She moves to pounce, but I grab her waist to hold her down to the bed and glare at Aerith. "How long does she have to stay like this?"

"Just a moment longer."

Her claws slash out and cut two deep scratches down the right side of my cheek. Ow. "Can't you bind her?"

"No. That would defeat the purpose." She shakes her head as Zack moves forward to grab her hands to hold them down.

"_Why?_"

"Because she has to release her sorrows and extend her anger."

"By cutting me on the face?"

"Sorry, Iurgium, but do you want her in a coma?"

I freeze, Tifa thrashing underneath me while Zack pins her wrists to the bed. Her mouth is gaping open and closed, the smell of my blood driving her already insane Triple F form to further madness. God, make it stop! I can't stand seeing her like this!

"Alright, that's enough." Aerith walks over and, with Zack and I holding her down, slips her rosario onto her collar again.

"Unh…" She blinks, her sanity coming back slowly. She looks at me and asks, "Cloud…? What happened?"

I smile softly and touch a hand to her cheek, whispering, "I'll explain later, Tifa. Just try to get some sleep, okay?"

She gasps. "Cloud! What happened to your face? Did I… do that…?"

I nod slowly, but quickly smile. "It's okay, Tifa. Aerith'll get me fixed up. It's nothing to worry about. Just get some rest."

She leans forward, her tongue extending slowly towards my wounds. I press my forearm against her collarbone to hold her down, shaking my head. "You don't know what my blood will do to you, Tifa. If you're hungry, we'll get you some blood from the kitchen."

Tifa nods hesitantly, her eyes still watching my blood drip down my neck. Aerith's hands slowly wrap around Tifa's shoulders as she motions me back. "Come here, Tifa. Zack will take you to get some food and I'll get Cloud's cuts fixed up."

She nods slowly and lets Zack guide her out the bedroom door. I catch a glance of her left hand as she leaves, breathing a sigh of relief as the black tattoos fade. Aerith watches them go before pressing her motherly palm to my cheek and whispering, "_Melior fieri_."

She draws her hand back and frowns, studying my cheek. I don't like that look. "What is it, Aerith?"

With a shake of her head, she sighs and says, "I don't know how you're going to handle this, but the cuts won't heal all the way."

Wait, what? "What do you mean? I don't feel any pain or blood running down my cheek anymore."

She leans forward and licks her finger to wipe the blood on my face away. "Well, the cuts are closed, but there are still scars."

I jump up and run over to the mirror on the side and look at my cheek. Gah, stupid blood. I spit on my hand and rub at my cheek, cleaning away the rest of it. There, under the blood, were two small, thin scars. About an inch and a half long and running down my cheek to the bottom of my chin. Those cuts weren't even that deep! How…?

Aerith sighs and leans against the wall. "My guess would be that, despite her crazed state, Tifa hurt you and your body didn't want to accept that. It refused to register any wounds and, therefore, wouldn't heal them."

So… I have scars now. I don't really care, but I know it'll drive Tifa insane when she sees them constantly. I know I'd feel the same if I hurt her by accident and had a constant reminder there for me.

"You should go to her, Cloud. She needs you now."

I nod and turn for the door just as a loud 'crash' sounds from the main room.

* * *

Alrighty, we finished an update! Yay!

What the crap was that crash? Any guesses?

Reviews are love!

-Valk


End file.
